Victoria Traynor1, Nicholas Cordato2,3, Pippa Burns1, Yun Xu2,3, Nicole Britten1, Kim Duncan4, Loren DeVries5,6, Colleen McKinnon7. 1. School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. 2. St George and Calvary Hospitals, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 3. The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 4. St Vincent's Health Network, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 5. Garrawarra Centre, Helensburgh, New South Wales, Australia. 6. South Eastern Sydney, Local Health District, New South Wales, Australia. 7. South East Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report on the use of Delirium Care Pathways to screen for and recognise delirium by Aged Care Services in Emergency Teams (ASETs) at five metropolitan hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Knowledge of delirium and the use of Delirium Care Pathways are vital to ensure that older people presenting with delirium receive best practice care. METHODS: An audit of 205 randomly selected medical records of clients over 65 years presenting to an ASET was conducted. RESULTS: Delirium was recorded in the medical records notes of four clients (2%). However, the auditors identified another 27 clients with symptoms of delirium. CONCLUSIONS: Delirium is still frequently undiagnosed and misdiagnosed in older people presenting to emergency departments. This indicates a need for further education and professional development for and by health-care practitioners. Only with greater awareness of delirium will the care and health outcomes of older adults presenting with delirium in acute care settings improve.
OBJECTIVE: To report on the use of Delirium Care Pathways to screen for and recognise delirium by Aged Care Services in Emergency Teams (ASETs) at five metropolitan hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Knowledge of delirium and the use of Delirium Care Pathways are vital to ensure that older people presenting with delirium receive best practice care. METHODS: An audit of 205 randomly selected medical records of clients over 65 years presenting to an ASET was conducted. RESULTS:Delirium was recorded in the medical records notes of four clients (2%). However, the auditors identified another 27 clients with symptoms of delirium. CONCLUSIONS:Delirium is still frequently undiagnosed and misdiagnosed in older people presenting to emergency departments. This indicates a need for further education and professional development for and by health-care practitioners. Only with greater awareness of delirium will the care and health outcomes of older adults presenting with delirium in acute care settings improve.
Authors: Susan D Shenkin; Christopher Fox; Mary Godfrey; Najma Siddiqi; Steve Goodacre; John Young; Atul Anand; Alasdair Gray; Janet Hanley; Allan MacRaild; Jill Steven; Polly L Black; Zoë Tieges; Julia Boyd; Jacqueline Stephen; Christopher J Weir; Alasdair M J MacLullich Journal: BMC Med Date: 2019-07-24 Impact factor: 8.775