Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2011;66(11):1917-22.
doi: 10.1590/s1807-59322011001100011.

The validity and reliability of the Portuguese versions of three tools used to diagnose delirium in critically ill patients

Affiliations
Comparative Study

The validity and reliability of the Portuguese versions of three tools used to diagnose delirium in critically ill patients

Dimitri Gusmao-Flores et al. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2011.

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to compare the sensitivity and specificity of three diagnostic tools for delirium (the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist, the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units and the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units Flowsheet) in a mixed population of critically ill patients, and to validate the Brazilian Portuguese Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units.

Methods: The study was conducted in four intensive care units in Brazil. Patients were screened for delirium by a psychiatrist or neurologist using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Patients were subsequently screened by an intensivist using Portuguese translations of the three tools.

Results: One hundred and nineteen patients were evaluated and 38.6% were diagnosed with delirium by the reference rater. The Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units had a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 96.2%; the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units Flowsheet had a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 96.2%; the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist had a sensitivity of 96.0% and a specificity of 72.4%. There was strong agreement between the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units and the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units Flowsheet (kappa coefficient = 0.96)

Conclusion: All three instruments are effective diagnostic tools in critically ill intensive care unit patients. In addition, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of delirium among critically ill patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Receiver operating characteristic curve based on the total score (0-8) obtained on the ICDSC.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Lin SM, Liu CY, Wang CH, Lin HC, Huang CD, Huang PY, et al. The impact of delirium on the survival of mechanically ventilated patients. Crit Care Med. 2004;32:2254–59. 10.1097/01.CCM.0000110878.49476.42 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lima DP, Ochiai ME, Lima AB, Curiati JA, Farfel JM, Filho WJ. Delirium in hospitalized elderly patients and post-discharge mortality. Clinics. 2010;65:251–5. 10.1590/S1807-59322010000300003 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Salluh JI, Soares M, Teles JM, Ceraso D, Raimondi N, Nava VS, et al. The DECCA (Delirium Epidemiology in Critical Care) Study Group. Delirium epidemiology in critical care (DECCA): an international study. Crit Care. 2010;14:R210. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Girard TD, Jackson JC, Pandharipande PP, Pun BT, Thompson JL, Shintani AK, et al. Delirium as a predictor of long-term cognitive impairment in survivors of critical illness. Crit Care Med. 2010;38:1513–20. 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181e47be1 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Morandi A, Pandharipande P, Trabucchi M, Rozzini R, Mistraletti G, Trompeo AC, et al. Understanding international differences in terminology for delirium and other types of acute brain dysfunction in critically ill patients. Intensive Care Med. 2008;34:1907–15. 10.1007/s00134-008-1177-6 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types