Delirium in trauma patients: a 1-year prospective cohort study of 2026 patients

Delirium in trauma surgery is common, especially post-operatively, but medical characteristics, risk factors and residence post-discharge have not comprehensively been investigated in all trauma patients.

Over 1 year, 2026 trauma patients were prospectively screened for delirium with the following tools: Delirium Observation screening scale (DOS), Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) and a DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual)-5, nursing tool (ePA-AC) construct. Risk factors—predisposing und precipitating—for delirium were assessed via multiple regression analysis.

Of 2026 trauma patients, 440 (21.7%) developed delirium, which was associated with an increased risk of assisted living (OR 6.42, CI 3.92–10.49), transfer to nursing home (OR 4.66, CI 3.29–6.6), rehabilitation (OR 3.96, CI 3.1–5.1), or death (OR 70.72, CI 22–227.64). Intensive care management (OR 18.62, CI 14.04–24.68), requirement of ventilation (OR 32.21, CI 21.27–48.78), or its duration (OR 67.22, CI 33.8–133.71) all increased the risk for developing delirium. Relevant predisposing risk factors were dementia (OR 50.92, CI 15.12–171.45), cardiac insufficiency (OR 11.76, CI 3.6–38.36), and polypharmacy (OR 5.9, CI 4.01–8.68).Relevant precipitating risk factors were brain edema (OR 40.53, CI 4.81–341.31), pneumonia (OR 39.66, CI 8.89–176.93) and cerebral inflammation (OR 21.74, CI 2.34–202.07).

Delirium in trauma patients is associated with poor outcome as well as with intensive care management and various predisposing and/or precipitating factors. Three quarters of patients who had undergone delirium were not able to live independently at home any more.