Prevalence and clinical profile of delirium: a study from a tertiary-care hospital in north India

• Published in: General hospital psychiatry Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 25 - 29
• Main Authors: Grover, Sandeep, M.D, Subodh, BN, M.D, Avasthi, Ajit, M.D, Chakrabarti, Subho, M.D., M.R.C.Psych, Kumar, Suresh, M.D., D.N.B.E, Sharan, Pratap, M.D., Ph.D, Malhotra, Savita, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.M.S, Kulhara, Parmanand, M.D., F.R.C.Psych., F.A.M.S, Mattoo, Surendra Kumar, M.D, Basu, Debasish, M.D., D.N.B.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical profile; Delirium; Delirium - epidemiology; Delirium - physiopathology; Female; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; India - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Psychiatric referral; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Referral and Consultation; Registries; Young Adult; Asia; India; Delirium; Psychiatric referral; Clinical profile; Social environment; Human; Prevalence; Mental health; Clinical form; Epidemiology; Retrospective; Organic mental disorder; Rehabilitation center; Mental confusion; Public health
• ISSN: 0163-8343; 1873-7714
• DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2008.06.001

Abstract Background There is scarcity of data from the Indian subcontinent in terms of rates of psychiatric referrals and prevalence of delirium in the medico-surgical setting. Aim The present research aimed to study the rates of psychiatric referrals, clinical profile and treatment of delirium in a tertiary-care hospital. Methods The referral register in the department of psychiatry (which records all referrals to the Consultation–Liaison Psychiatry Team) was used to obtain data of all referred patients who had been diagnosed to have delirium while they were admitted in the Nehru Hospital, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, during the period 2000–2005. Results Over 6 years, 3092 patients/referrals were received from different wards and included 1050 who were diagnosed as having delirium. The psychiatric referral rate ranged from 0.92% to 1.56% (mean=1.3%) per year; delirium formed the largest diagnostic category (30.77% to 38.95% of all referred cases). The prevalence of delirium in all inpatients ranged from 0.28% to 0.53% (mean=0.44%), with prevalence being higher in the elderly. In 80% of the cases, the referral was for abnormal behavior or patient's noncooperation for treatment. Most of the cases improved with treatment. Conclusions Delirium forms the largest diagnostic category in psychiatry referrals and improves with treatment.