Fethi Gül, Ahmet Anıl Çiftçi, Emin Emre Balkaya, Eyüp Can Yılmaz, Fırat Kaya, Mehmet Eren Erten, Esra Tekin, Umut Sabri Kasapoğlu
Journal of Cardio-Vascular-Thoracic Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Society - 2025;31(4):158-166
Delirium is a common acute brain dysfunction in critically ill patients and is associated with poor short- and long-term outcomes, yet it often remains under-recognized. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of delirium in adult critically ill patients and to examine the relationship between delirium and potential risk factors such as disease severity, organ dysfunction, level of sedation, and laboratory parameters. The study population consisted of 60 consecutive adults (>=18 years) admitted to a tertiary ICU with a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score between -3 and +4. Sedation was assessed using RASS; delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) and the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98); organ dysfunction using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA); and illness severity using APACHE II. Demographics, comorbidities, basic laboratory tests, and sedative and analgesic drug use were obtained from medical records. The mean age was 65+/-18 years, and 59.4% of the patients were male. Delirium was diagnosed by CAM-ICU in 28 patients (46.7%). Compared with non-delirious patients, those with delirium were older (70+/-15 vs. 60+/-19 years) and had higher DRS-R-98, C-reactive protein, APACHE II, and SOFA scores, as well as lower platelet count, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and RASS scores (all p<0.05). The combined use of CAM-ICU and DRS-R-98 appears reliable for identifying delirium and monitoring its severity in the ICU.
