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Risk factors and clinical aspects of delirium in elderly hospitalized patients in Iran

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Abstract

Background

Recognition of the risk factors of delirium has been clearly advantageous in preventing and managing it as it occurs.

Aims

The main aims of this study were to investigate the occurrence of delirium and identify the associated risk factors in a sample of hospitalized elderly in Southwestern Iran.

Methods

A cross-sectional, hospital-based study was performed on a total of 200 elderly patients, admitted to a general hospital for various health reasons. Data were gathered over a 3-month period of time in 2010. Abbreviated Mental Test score (AMTs) used for delirium detection in post-admission days 1, 3, and 5, followed by clinical diagnostic confirmation according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria for delirium. Information regarding physical, cognitive, emotional, and functional states of the participants was collected, too.

Results

Delirium developed in 22 % of the participants. The demographic characteristics of the patients with delirium indicated that they were typically single, older men who lived alone and had a lower level of education and poorer functional status. Among other variables, the following were significantly associated with delirium: hemoglobin ≤12 (P < 0.001); Blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio ≥1/20 (P < 0.005); and positive C-reactive protein (P = 0.022); depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), and previous cognitive decline (P < 0.001). Patients with more than six different categories of medications were at high risk for delirium as well.

Conclusions

Delirium is a serious and common problem in people over 60 years of age who are admitted to hospitals. Understanding risk factors and clinical aspects of delirium in elderly hospitalized patients will provide us with a better delirium management strategy.

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Correspondence to Ahmad Delbari.

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The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Deputy of Research and Technology of University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Foroughan, M., Delbari, A., Said, S.E. et al. Risk factors and clinical aspects of delirium in elderly hospitalized patients in Iran. Aging Clin Exp Res 28, 313–319 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0400-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0400-x

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