Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Volume 56, Issue 11 p. 2093-2099

The 6- and 12-Month Outcomes of Older Medical Inpatients Who Recover from Subsyndromal Delirium

Martin G. Cole MD, FRCP(C)

From the ^* Department of Psychiatry ^‡ Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, St. Mary's Hospital Center ^† Department of Psychiatry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada ^§ Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Jane McCusker MD, DrPH,

Jane McCusker MD, DrPH

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Antonio Ciampi PhD,

Antonio Ciampi PhD

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Eric Belzile MSc,

Eric Belzile MSc

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Martin G. Cole MD, FRCP(C),

Martin G. Cole MD, FRCP(C)

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Jane McCusker MD, DrPH,

Jane McCusker MD, DrPH

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Antonio Ciampi PhD,

Antonio Ciampi PhD

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Eric Belzile MSc,

Eric Belzile MSc

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First published: 03 November 2008

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01963.x

Citations: 36

Address correspondence to Martin G. Cole, MD, FRCP(C), Department of Psychiatry, St. Mary's Hospital Center, 3830 avenue Lacombe, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1M5, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To compare the 6- and 12-month outcomes of patients who recovered from subsyndromal delirium (SSD) by 8 weeks with the outcomes of patients who did not recover or did not have an index episode.

DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data collected for a cohort study of the prognosis of delirium.

SETTING: University-affiliated primary acute care hospital.

PARTICIPANTS: Older medical inpatients with prevalent, incident, or no SSD were classified into three mutually exclusive groups at 8 weeks (SSD-recovered, SSD-not recovered, no SSD) and followed up at 6 and 12 months.

MEASUREMENTS: The primary hierarchical composite outcome was death, institutionalization, or cognitive or functional decline at 6 and 12 months. In secondary analyses, components of the primary outcome were examined separately.

RESULTS: Of the 129 patients assessed at 8 weeks, 51, 47, and 31 met criteria for SSD-recovered, SSD-not recovered and no SSD, respectively. At 6 and 12 months, the primary and secondary outcomes of the SSD-recovered group were better than the outcomes of the SSD-not recovered group and, for the most part, intermediate between the outcomes of the SSD-not recovered and no SSD groups.

CONCLUSION: Recovery from SSD appears to predict better longer-term outcomes than no recovery. Efforts to identify and treat SSD in older medical inpatients may improve outcomes.

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Volume56, Issue11

November 2008

Pages 2093-2099

The 6- and 12-Month Outcomes of Older Medical Inpatients Who Recover from Subsyndromal Delirium

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The 6- and 12-Month Outcomes of Older Medical Inpatients Who Recover from Subsyndromal Delirium

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