[Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit]

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM) of mental disorders written by Ely et al as a confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit (CAM-ICU) for diagnosing delirium. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 31 patients in a southern medical center ICU. Data were collected by two interviewers who used CAM-ICU to test inter-rater consistency. DSM served as the delirium diagnosis standard to test CAM-ICU validity and calculate sensitivity and specificity. The inter-rater reliability Kappa value for CAM-ICU applied to delirium diagnosis was .48 (p< .01). The validity PABAK value was .48 (p< .01) and McNemar's test value was p = .72. The sensitivity achieved by the two interviewers was 89%, versus 96% for the doctor. The CAM-ICU is a method that helps ICU nursing staff to detect occurrences of delirium rapidly and easily, permitting early intervention treatment with fewer complications.