Healthcare professionals should be aware that people in hospital or long-term care might be at risk of developing delirium, and should undertake a risk factor assessment for other delirium risks, including older age, cognitive impairment, and the presence of severe illness.1 As outlined on the slide, a tailored multicomponent intervention package can be devised for the individual patient, to help prevent the occurrence of delirium.1 Indeed, a Cochrane review concluded that multicomponent approaches to preventing delirium reduce the incidence of delirium by 43% compared with usual care – i.e., preventing two in five cases.2
References:
1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Delirium: prevention, diagnosis and management in hospital and long-term care. Clinical guideline CG103. Updated January 2023. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg103. Accessed July 2023.