Adherencia a la escala CAM-ICU y evaluación de los métodos para el diagnóstico de delirium por médicos que laboran en unidades de cuidados intensivos de la ciudad de Medellín

Abstract

IntroductionDelirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder that develops acutely. It occurs in critically ill patients and is associated with worse outcomes. It is an undervalued condition within the Intensive Care Units, despite having the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) scale, which represents the best validated tool for the diagnosis of this pathology in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. The aim of this study is to assess the level of knowledge and application of the CAM-ICU scale by physicians working in different intensive care units in Medellin city. Materials and methodsA descriptive, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using the responses from an online questionnaire sent to 95 doctors, obtaining 57 responses. ResultsAll the doctors classified delirium as a comorbidity that negatively impacts the prognosis, and although 82% reported knowing the CAM-ICU tool, only 12% used the scale for the diagnosis of delirium. ConclusionsThe association between delirium and the increase in negative outcomes is known. The CAM-ICU scale is recognised as a validated tool to diagnose delirium in ICU, but despite this, it is not used regularly.