Abstract
Delirium is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome that is often associated with adverse outcomes including prolonged hospitalization. This study aims to determine the length of hospital stay among medically-ill patients with and without delirium who were admitted through the Accident and Emergency unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, in North-Central Nigeria. It was a cross-sectional study that employed a consecutive sampling technique to select 290 eligible subjects in a face-to-face interview, using a confusion assessment method to assess for delirium within 24 hours of admission. All the respondents were followed-up from the Accident and Emergency unit until discharge or death. The results showed that respondents with delirium rather than those without, were significantly more likely to stay longer in the hospital (P < 0.001). The significant factors associated with prolonged hospitalization among those with delirium include, current medications use, duration of illness before presentation and type of medical diagnosis (P < 0.001), (P < 0.001) and (P < 0.001) respectively. The results point to the importance of screening for delirium in medically-ill patients, with particular attention to patients with infectious and cerebrovascular diseases.
Highlights
IntroductionIn the early 20th century, the concepts of underlying brain pathology, cognitive impairment and other new ideas introduced by Karl Jasper and other authorities in the field of mental health created a platform for another successive transformation [3]
This study aims to determine the length of hospital stay among medically-ill patients with and without delirium who were admitted through the Accident and Emergency unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, in North-Central Nigeria
The aim of this study was to assess the length of hospital stay in medically-ill adults admitted through the Accident and Emergency (A & E) unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), North-Central Nigeria and to identify if any, the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associated with length of hospital stay among respondents with delirium
Summary
In the early 20th century, the concepts of underlying brain pathology, cognitive impairment and other new ideas introduced by Karl Jasper and other authorities in the field of mental health created a platform for another successive transformation [3]. This created the platform where delirium witnessed other transformations; from a functional disorder to psychosis, from psychosis to non-specific brain reaction and exogenous irritant respectively [4]. Delirium was officially included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, third edition (DSM III) classification in late 20th century [5]. Based on DSM-5 definition, delirium is an acute onset of fluctuating cognitive impairment and a disturbance of consciousness which is characterized by disturbances of orientation, memory, language skills, thinking, perception, motor behaviour, sleep wake cycle and with impaired attention as the core cognitive disturbance that is not better explained by pre-existing, established or other evolving neurocognitive disorders [6]
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