Epidemiology of Delirium in Critically Ill Adults: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of delirium. Delirium is common in patients requiring critical care. Estimates of the prevalence vary from 16% to 89% depending on the type of delirium, assessment tool used, and healthcare setting. Multiple risk factors predispose (e.g., old age, comorbidity, frailty) and precipitate (e.g., surgery, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological agent administration) a patient’s risk. Clinical care processes can contribute to the iatrogenic rate of incident delirium following hospital admission. Indeed, the early identification of delirium is necessary for the healthcare team to mitigate the cascade of negative outcomes resulting from this syndrome.