Delirium During ICU Stay Linked to Long-term Cognitive Impairment

A study conducted at Vanderbilt University has found that after being treated in intensive care units, patients who begin medical care with no signs of cognitive impairment often leave with deficits similar to those seen in cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or mild Alzheimer’s disease. These symptoms last for a least a year. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, assessed 821 patients with respiratory failure, cardiogenic shock or septic shock who later developed delirium while in the hospital. Study authors found that delirium to be a predictor of brain disease present for a year after hospital discharge.

“Delirium in critically ill, hospitalized adults is a serious yet understudied issue,” said Molly Wagster, Ph.D., chief of the Behavioral & Systems Neuroscience Branch in the National Institute on Aging. “These new findings provide important evidence of the extent of the problem, the imperative for greater recognition and the pressing need for solutions.” Click here to read the full story.