Delirium in Australian Hospitals: A Prospective Study
Table 2
Outcomes of patients with and without delirium at or during the admission.
Outcome
Delirium status
Mean (SD)
(%)
(df)
value
Length of stay in hospital; mean (SD)
Delirium at admission ()
15.9 days (14.3)
−3.9
0.005*
No delirium ()
9.7 days (9.7)
Incident delirium ()†
21.7 days (17.9)
−8.0
0.005*
No delirium ()
8.66 days (8.0)
Number of those who fell in hospital
Delirium at admission
6 (17.1)
12.3 (1)
0.005*
No delirium
18 (3.9)
Incident delirium
5 (14.7)
11.9 (1)
0.005*
No delirium
12 (2.9)
In-hospital mortality
Delirium at admission
4 (8.3)
5.8 (1)
0.073
No delirium
10 (2.2)
Incident delirium
8 (23.5)
75.9 (1)
0.005*
No delirium
2 (0.5)
Deceased at 28 days after discharge#
Delirium at admission
5 (13.5)
19.8 (1)
0.005*
No delirium
6 (1.5)
Incident delirium
2 (7.7)
7.2 (1)
0.029*
No delirium
4 (1.1)
Discharged to a higher care level
Delirium at admission
6 (20.0)
10.4 (1)
0.005*
No delirium
19 (5.1)
Incident delirium
3 (15.8)
4.6 (1)
0.08
No delirium
16 (4.6)
Readmitted to hospital within 28 days after discharge
Delirium at admission
2 (5.0)
3.08 (1)
0.260
No delirium
62 (15.2)
Incident delirium
5 (14.7)
0.006 (1)
1.000
No delirium
57 (15.2)
Delirium was not present at admission; #there was no significant difference in mortality at 28 days according to whether delirium had resolved at discharge or not ( (1) = 0.814; ). Higher level of care is defined as patients newly admitted to a nursing home when they had been previously living in the community prior to the hospital admission and patients who transferred from low to high nursing home care following hospitalization. *.
