Delirium screening with 4AT in patients aged 65 years and older admitted to the Emergency Department with suspected sepsis: a prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

We aimed to study the use of The 4 'A's test (4AT), a rapid delirium screening tool, performed upon Emergency Department (ED) admission, and to characterize older patients admitted to the ED with and without sepsis in terms of delirium features.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, we included patients aged ≥ 65 years, admitted to the ED with suspected sepsis. ED nurses and doctors performed delirium screening with 4AT within two hours after ED admission, and registered the time spent on the screening in each case. Sepsis and delirium during the hospital stay were diagnosed retrospectively, according to recommended diagnosis criteria.

Results

Out of the 196 patients included (mean age 81 years, 60% men), 100 patients fulfilled the sepsis diagnosis criteri

SUBMITTER: Myrstad M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8860779 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature