Yoanna Skrobik, MD, FRCP(C), Director, Adult Critical Care Training Program, Université de Montreal; Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montreal, Montreal, QC.
Delirium is a morbid and common complication in the critically ill patient. Its recognition is made more difficult by the inability to interview the intubated patient, and by the presence of drugs and confounding comorbidities. Delirium screening (described with the ICDSC and the CAM-ICU) with tools specifically designed for the acute care setting can help the nurse or clinician identify its presence. Risk factors for delirium in the critical care setting differ from those described in other populations. Treatment is currently empiric.
Key words: delirium, critical care, outcomes, intensive care, screening.
