Research Article
The Phenomenology of Delirium: Presence, Severity, and Relationship between Symptoms
Table 1
Sociodemographic and medical variables of the delirium sample and severity of delirium.
| | | Delirium sample () | Mild delirium () | Moderate delirium () | Severe delirium () | Statistical analysis |
| | Age | 58.4 (19–89, SD 16.7) | 51.9 (19–78, SD 18.8) | 57.7 (26–84, SD 15.9) | 66.4 (30–89, SD 16.6) | , | | Gender in % | | | | | ns | | Male | 51 | 33 | 54 | 53 | | | Female | 49 | 67 | 47 | 47 | | | Dementia in % | 18 | 8.3 | 12.7 | 47.1 | , | | Diagnoses in % | | | | | ns | | Lung | 21 | — | 23.9 | 23.5 | | | Brain | 3 | — | 2.8 | 5.9 | | | Gastrointestinal | 14 | 8.3 | 14,1 | 17.6 | | | Sarcoma | 1 | 8,3 | — | — | | | Head and neck | 6 | 16.7 | 4.2 | 5.9 | | | Gynecological | 15 | 8.3 | 16.9 | 11.8 | | | Lymphoma | 13 | 41.7 | 8.5 | 11.8 | | | Other | 27 | 16.7 | 29.6 | 23.5 | | | Stage in % | | | | | ns | | Localized | 16.2 | 16.7 | 15.7 | 17.6 | | | Advanced | 78.8 | 83.3 | 81.4 | 64.7 | | | Terminal | 5.1 | — | 2.9 | 17.6 | | | Brain metastases in % | 24 | — | 25.4 | 35.3 | ns | | Etiologies in % | | | | | ns | | Opioids | 63.4 | 63.6 | 62.7 | 66.7 | | | Corticosteroids | 30.1 | 27.3 | 32.8 | 20 | | | Infection | 40.9 | 63.6 | 38.8 | 33.3 | | | Hypoxia | 28 | 18.2 | 28.4 | 33.3 | | | CNS disease | 12.9 | — | 13.3 | 20 | | | Dehydration | 12.9 | 18.2 | 13.4 | 6.7 | | | Other | 12.9 | 9.1 | 11.9 | 20 | | | Type of delirium in % | | | | | ns | | Hypoactive | 53 | 58.3 | 53.5 | 47.1 | | | Hyperactive | 47 | 41.7 | 46.5 | 52.9 | | | KPS | 35.5 (20–50, SD 7.70) | 40 (30–50, SD 4.3) | 35.8 (20–50, SD 7.3) | 31.2 (20–50, SD 9.3) | , |
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KPS: Karnofsky Performance Status scale.
: Pearson’s chi-square, SD: standard deviation.
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