Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)

WHY: Delirium is present in 10%-31% of older medical inpatients upon hospital admission and 11%-42% of older adults develop delirium during hospitalization Delirium is associated with negative consequences including prolonged hospitalization, functional decline, increased use of chemical and physical restraints, prolonged delirium post hospitalization, and increased mortality. Delirium may also have lasting negative effects including the development of dementia within two years (Ehlenbach et al., 2010) and the need for long term nursing home care (Inouye, 2006). Predisposing risk factors for delirium include older age, dementia, severe illness, multiple co-morbidities, alcoholism, vision impairment, hearing impairment, and a history of delirium. Precipitating risk factors include acute illness, surgery, pain, dehydration, sepsis, electrolyte disturbance, urinary retention, fecal impaction, and exposure to high risk medications. Delirium is often unrecognized and undocumented by clinicians. Early recognition and treatment can improve outcomes. Therefore, patients should be assessed frequently using a standardized tool to facilitate prompt identification and management of delirium and underlying etiology. BEST TOOL: The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) is a standardized evidence-based tool that enables non-psychiatrically trained clinicians to identify and recognize delirium quickly and accurately in both clinical and research settings. The CAM includes four features found to have the greatest ability to distinguish delirium from other types of cognitive impairment. There is also a CAM-ICU version for use with non-verbal mechanically ventilated patients (See Try This: ® CAM-ICU). VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY: Both the CAM and the CAM–ICU have demonstrated sensitivity of 94-100%, specificity of 89-95% and high inter-rater reliability (Wei, Fearing, Eliezer, Sternberg, & Inouye, 2008). Several studies have been done to validate clinical usefulness. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: The CAM can be incorporated into routine assessment and has been translated into several languages. The CAM was designed and validated to be scored based on observations made during brief but formal cognitive testing, such as brief mental status evaluations. Training to administer and score the tool is necessary to obtain valid results. The tool identifies the presence or absence of delirium but does not assess the severity of the condition, making it less useful to detect clinical improvement or deterioration. FOLLOW-UP: The presence of delirium warrants prompt intervention to identify and treat underlying causes and provide supportive care. Vigilant efforts need to continue across the healthcare continuum to preserve and restore baseline mental status. (2010). Association between acute care and critical illness hospitalization and cognitive function in older adults.based geriatric nursing protocols …