Pilot study on the European Portuguese version of the Confusion Assessment Method

Abstract

To present the pilot study on the European Portuguese validation of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). The translation process was carried out according to International Society Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research guidelines with trained researchers and inter-rater reliability assessment. The study included 50 elderly patients, admitted (≥24 h) to two intermediate care units. Exclusion criteria were: Glasgow Coma Scale (total score ≤11), blindness/deafness, inability to communicate and not able to speak Portuguese. The sensitivity and specificity of CAM were assessed, with DSM-IV-TR criteria of delirium used as a reference standard. Findings revealed excellent inter-rater reliability (k>0.81), moderate sensitivity (73%) and excellent specificity (95%). These preliminary results suggested that this version emerges as a promising diagnostic instrument for delirium.