[Nursing interventions for the prevention of the delirium in intensive care unit (ICU): a randomized study]

Abstract

The delirium is a common and problematic condition that involves between 10% and 50% of the in-patients. The in-patients in intensive care unit (ICU) are more at risk (about 38%). These data are not realistic because delirium is a condition that can be either unrecognized or misdiagnosed; between 66% and 84% of delirium in elderly hospitalized patients is unrecognized by clinicians. The aim of this study is to verify if nurses activities directed to the patient and environment, for maintaining time-space orientation and cognitive functions, can diminish or slow down the increase of delirium. The sample of this study is made up of 48 patients; using randomize technique 31 patients were assigned to the control group and 17 to the experimental group.

Results: In the control group 6 patients were assessed with delirium, while 3 were assessed in the experimental group; the relative risk is 0.9 and the Odds ratio 0.9.

Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the nurses' activities can have an important role in order to assess, diminish and slow down the increase of delirium.