Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2015 Dec 31. [Epub ahead of print]

Delirium Frequency and Risk Factors Among Patients With Cancer in Palliative Care Unit.

Şenel G, Uysal N, Oguz G, et al

In a single Turkish palliative care unit, 213 consecutive inpatients with mixed cancers (90% advanced/metastatic) prospectively had delirium screened using the Delirium Rating Scale (on admission and 3 times a week) with confirmation by a psychiatrist if potentially present. On admission 32% of patients had delirium, which increased to 50% during the admission (hypoactive 49%, mixed 41% and hyperactive 10%). Patients with delirium had lower Palliative Performance Scale and a higher Palliative Prognostic Index, with 76% of patients with delirium dying during their admission compared to 36% of those without delirium. Risk factors (from an univariate analysis) included opioids, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, steroids, polypharmacy, infection, malnutrition, immobilization, sleep disturbance, constipation, hyperbilirubinemia, liver failure, renal failure, hypoxia, electrolyte imbalance and brain cancer.

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