"I can prevent Delirium", an initiative by National Health Service, UK and Kauvery Hospital
Posted on: 21/Mar/2017 10:10:41 AM
Delirium or Acute Confusional State, if addressed and treated properly is preventable but there is not much awareness among the people of this syndrome, said Dr. M. Santhana Krishnan, Senior Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry from Tees Esk Wear Valleys, NHS Foundation Trust, UK and Member of iDelirium – International Delirium Organisation. Kauvery Hospital is collaborating with Dr. Krishnan’s I can Prevent Delirium project which has been widely successful in UK. This initiative is going to be the first of its kind in India and is being launched in connection with the World Delirium Day which falls on March 15.
The intention of this initiative is to educate and create awareness among medical and non medical professionals about how to prevent, identify and treat delirium using innovative methodology. The initiative will start with educating the entire nursing staff in Kauvery hospital in Chennai and will later go on to reach out to other hospitals all over India”, said Dr. Santhana Krishnan.
Dr. G. Balamurali, Consultant Spine and Neurosurgeon said that hospital staffs and in some cases, even doctors fail to identify delirium and often it is being confused with Schizoprenia or Dementia. This is where I can prevent Delirium initiative comes into play. Kauvery Hospital will train their nurses in identifying and dealing with patients affected with delirium. Our aim is to teach the nuances of taking care of a patient suffering from Delirium to all the nursing staff throughout the city. Very soon, a trainers training program will be launched, where the Head Nurses from hospitals across the city will be called for training sessions in this line.
Dr. Yamini Kannappan, Consultant Psychiatrist and Dr. M. Lakshmipathy Ramesh, Senior Geriatric Consultant, Kauvery Hospital were present during the interaction.
What is Delirium?
Delirium or acute confusional state is a sudden and severe change in brain function that causes a person to appear confused, disoriented or to have difficulties maintaining focus, thinking clearly and remembering recent events. Delirium can be triggered by a number of potential causes including medical illness, surgery and medications. Older patients over 65 years are at highest risk for developing delirium. Nearly 30% of older patients experience delirium at some time during hospitalization.
Delirium is a very serious unacknowledged condition that is associated with many adverse outcomes which include: increased mortality, falls, functional decline, cognitive impairment and decline and significant costs.
Despite all these problems, delirium is potentially preventable and treatable, when addressed promptly but poor understanding of the condition remains a major barrier for care.
Statistics on delirium:
- Delirium occurs in up to 25% hospitalized patients, 50% of surgical patients, 20% of nursing home patients, 77% of burn patients and 75% of ICU patients.
- An estimated 37% of surgical patients experience postoperative delirium.
- Delirium may be higher in patients 65 years of age or older.
- Delirium occurs in up to 50% of patients with dementia that require hospitalization.
