Abstract
Background: Delirium is often underdiagnosed; it is responsible for longer hospital stays and increased mortality rates. The reason to analyze risk factors that cause delirium is to expose the most common causes of this condition and in which aspects we should intervene to prevent it.
Aim: Identify the main risk factors for the development of delirium in the hospitalized elderly, verifying prevalence and time of hospitalization.
Methods: This cohort prospective study was conducted in the city of Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil during February 2021. All patients above 60 years old who were admitted at a local hospital for a month were analyzed. They had their medical charts analyzed and filled out a questionnaire about previous clinical data. During the hospitalization, daily visits were performed to verify the CAM score (confusion assessment method) used to diagnose Delirium.
Results: The study included 99 elderly patients, among them 13 have developed delirium during hospitalization characterizing a prevalence of 13,13%. The incidence of delirium was associated with both use of analgesics (p<0,04) and age (p<0,018). In addition, when in a multivariate analysis considering outcome through time, the use of analgesics (p<0,05) and age (p<0,022) were considered independent markers of delirium.
Conclusion: The use of analgesics and age are related to the development of delirium, regardless of time until outcome.