Identification of Patients With High Mortality Risk and Prediction of Outcomes in Delirium by Bispectral EEG.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is common and dangerous, yet underdetected and undertreated. Current screening questionnaires are subjective and ineffectively implemented in busy hospital workflows. Electroencephalography (EEG) can objectively detect the diffuse slowing characteristic of delirium, but it is not suitable for high-throughput screening due to size, cost, and the expertise required for lead placement and interpretation. This study hypothesized that an efficient and reliable point-of-care EEG device for high-throughput screening could be developed. METHODS: This prospective study, which measured bispectral EEG (BSEEG) from elderly inpatients to assess their outcomes, was conducted at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from January 2016 to October 2017. A BSEEG score was defined based on the distribution of 2,938 EEG recordings from the 428 subjects who were assessed for delirium; primary outcomes measured were hospital length of stay, discharge disposition, and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 274 patients had BSEEG score data available for analysis. Delirium and BSEEG score had a significant association (P < .001). Higher BSEEG scores were significantly correlated with length of stay (P < .001 unadjusted, P = .001 adjusted for age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] score) as well as with discharge not to home (P < .01). Hazard ratio for survival controlling for age, sex, CCI score, and delirium status was 1.35 (95% CI,1.04 to 1.76; P = .025). CONCLUSIONS: In BSEEG, an efficient and reliable device that provides an objective measurement of delirium status was developed. The BSEEG score is significantly associated with pertinent clinical outcomes of mortality, hospital length of stay, and discharge disposition. The BSEEG score better predicts mortality than does clinical delirium status. This study identified a previously unrecognized subpopulation of patients without clinical features of delirium who are at increased mortality risk.

A Needs Assessment of Family Physicians to Inform Development of Educational Resources on Antipsychotic Use in Dementia.

OBJECTIVES: Objectives of this study were to (1) assess the needs and preferred resources of Iowa physicians to inform the development of educational resources for best practice dementia care and (2) compare the responses of nursing home medical directors with nonmedical directors. METHODS: Of 498 physicians, 101 (20%) completed and returned the survey. Family physicians were obtained from a list of family physicians from the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners. Respondent answers were summarized and presented as total numbers and percentages in tables. Significant differences between medical directors and nonmedical directors were evaluated using chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. RESULTS: Medical directors and nonmedical directors had similar preferences for resources used and information needs. Online resources, pocket guides, a handbook, consulting pharmacists, and facility in-services were the most commonly preferred sources of new information. Medical directors were significantly more aware of the Food and Drug Administration warning on antipsychotic use in dementia and treated more nursing home patients. No differences were observed between groups related to confidence in and use of nondrug strategies instead of antipsychotics to manage behavioral symptoms of dementia. CONCLUSION: The results of this survey illustrate physician preferences for information and resources on the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia. Information was used to inform the development of resources to aid physicians and other health care providers in making decisions about managing these symptoms.

Delirium detection by a novel bispectral electroencephalography device in general hospital.

AIM: Delirium is common and dangerous among elderly inpatients; yet, it is underdiagnosed and thus undertreated. This study aimed to test the diagnostic characteristics of a noninvasive point-of-care device with two-channel (bispectral) electroencephalography (EEG) for the screening of delirium in the hospital. METHODS: Patients admitted to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics were assessed for the presence of delirium with a clinical assessment, the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit and Delirium Rating Scale. Subsequently, we obtained a 10-min bispectral EEG (BSEEG) recording from a hand-held electroencephalogram device during hospitalization. We performed power spectral density analysis to differentiate between those patients with and without delirium. RESULTS: Initially 45 subjects were used as a test dataset to establish a cut-off. The BSEEG index was determined to be a significant indicator of delirium, with sensitivity 80% and specificity 87.7%. An additional independent validation dataset with 24 patients confirmed the validity of the approach, with a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 83.3%. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, the BSEEG method was able to distinguish delirious patients from non-delirious patients. Our data showed the feasibility of this technology for mass screening of delirium in the hospital.

Impact of programs to reduce antipsychotic and anticholinergic use in nursing homes.

INTRODUCTION: Antipsychotics are used for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) but have risks. Anticholinergics can worsen outcomes in dementia. The Improving Antipsychotic Appropriateness in Dementia Patients educational program (IA-ADAPT) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Partnership to Improve Dementia Care (CMS Partnership) promote improved care for BPSD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of these programs on medication use and BPSD among nursing home residents. METHODS: This quasi-experimental longitudinal study used Medicare and assessment data for Iowa nursing home residents from April 2011 to December 2012. Residents were required to be eligible for six continuous months for inclusion. Antipsychotic use and anticholinergic use were evaluated on a monthly basis, and changes in BPSD were tracked using assessment data. Results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) per month after exposure to the IA-ADAPT or the start of the CMS Partnership. RESULTS: Of 426 eligible Iowa nursing homes, 114 were exposed to the IA-ADAPT in 2012. Nursing home exposure to the IA-ADAPT was associated with reduced antipsychotic use (OR [95% CI] = 0.92 [0.89-0.95]) and anticholinergic use (OR [95% CI] = 0.95 [0.92-0.98]), reduced use of excessive antipsychotic doses per CMS guidance (OR [95% CI] = 0.80 [0.75-0.86]), increased odds of a potentially appropriate indication among antipsychotic users (OR [95% CI] = 1.04 [1.00-1.09]), and decreased documentation of verbal aggression (OR [95% CI] = 0.96 [0.94-0.99]). Facilities with two or more IA-ADAPT exposures had greater reductions in antipsychotic and anticholinergic use than those with only one. The CMS Partnership was associated with reduced antipsychotic use (OR [95% CI] = 0.96 [0.94-0.98]) and decreased documentation of any measured BPSD (OR [95% CI] = 0.98 [0.97-0.99]) as well as delirium specifically (OR [95% CI] = 0.98 [0.96-0.99]). DISCUSSION: This study suggests that the IA-ADAPT and the CMS Partnership improved medication use with no adverse impact on BPSD.

Validity of the Delirium Observation Screening Scale in Identifying Delirium in Home Hospice Patients.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is common in home hospice patients and conveys significant morbidity to both patients and caregivers. The Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS) was developed to improve delirium recognition but has yet to be validated in the home hospice setting. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to explore the accuracy of the DOS for identifying delirium in home hospice patients. DESIGN: Prospective delirium evaluation using a convenience sample. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Community hospice patients were approached for study inclusion. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were assessed using the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98), with results being categorized as "delirium" or "no delirium." The Delirium Observation Screening Scale scores, completed by hospice nurses during weekly patient assessment visits, were compared to the DRS-R-98 results. RESULTS: Within this population, 30/78 (38%) assessments were categorized as delirious. In the majority of assessments, 69/75 (92%), the DRS-R-98 and DOS provided congruent results. There were 5 false positives and 1 false negative, demonstrating the DOS to be a clinically useful tool with a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.89. CONCLUSION: The DOS appears to be an accurate way to screen for delirium in home hospice patients. Validation of the DOS may help to improve delirium recognition and treatment and has the potential to increase quality of life in this vulnerable population. This input will also be taken into consideration in the development of a systematic screening procedure for delirium diagnosis at our local hospice, which we hope will be generalizable to other hospice agencies.

A qualitative exploration of perceived key knowledge and skills in end-of-life care in dementia patients among medical, nursing, and pharmacy students.

BACKGROUND: The steady increase in the number of people living and dying with dementia, coupled with the recent focus on quality of care, has highlighted the importance of dementia training for health care professionals. This exploratory study aimed to discover which skills health care students felt were important in providing quality end-of-life care to dementia patients. METHODS: Ninety-four medicine, nursing, and pharmacy students participated in a larger study using open-ended and closed questions to explore attitudes related to caring for dementia patients at the end of life. This study looks at the student responses to an open-ended question regarding the skills and knowledge they believe are needed to provide end-of-life care to dementia patients. Individual responses were reviewed by the researchers, coded into key issues, and tabulated for frequency of occurrences and group differences. RESULTS: Several common issues emerged: knowledge, patience, empathy, understanding, family involvement, compassion, medication knowledge, respect/patient autonomy, communication, quality of life, and patient education. Significant differences were observed among the participant groups on the following issues: Patience and understanding (pharmacy students mentioned these issues less frequently than medical and nursing students), compassion (medical students mentioned this issue more frequently than pharmacy students), and medication knowledge (pharmacy students mentioned this issue more frequently than medical and nursing students). CONCLUSIONS: Different health care disciplines (in-training) value different skill sets for the provision of dementia care at the end-of-life. As health care education for dementia patients at the end of life is expanded, it will be important to understand which skills both patients and health care students value.

Medical manuscripts impact of hospice enrollment on cost and length of stay of a terminal admission.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hospice enrollment at the time of a terminal admission alters the length of stay (LOS) or costs compared with patients not enrolled in hospice. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of all nontraumatic inpatient deaths of patients with a previous admission in the preceding 12 months at an academic hospital. RESULTS: 209 patients had a nontraumatic death and an admission in the year prior to the terminal admission. Patients enrolled in hospice had a shorter LOS (P = .02) and lower cost (P < .0001) than patients not enrolled at the time of their terminal admission. CONCLUSIONS: Enrollment in hospice during a terminal admission decreased cost and LOS. Hospice may be a way to provide more cost-effective, appropriate care to dying patients.

Risk factors for delirium in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is common after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Early recognition and treatment have been shown to improve long-term outcomes. We sought to investigate the relationship between potential risk factors and the development of delirium following HSCT. METHODS: Fifty-four inpatients admitted for HSCT were assessed prospectively for delirium every 2 to 3 days during their inpatient stay using standardized delirium and neuropsychological measures. Self reports of medical history, medical records, and neurocognitive and psychiatric assessments were used to identify risk factors. Both pre- and post-HSCT risk factors were examined. RESULTS: Delirium incidence was 35% and occurred with highest frequency in the 2 weeks following transplant. The only pre-transplantation risk factor was lower oxygen saturation (P = .003). Post-transplantation risk factors for delirium included higher creatinine (P < .0001), higher blood urea nitrogen levels (P = .005), lower creatinine clearance (P = .0006), lower oxygen saturation (P = .001), lower hemoglobin (P = .04), and lower albumin (P = .03). There was no observed association with level of cognitive performance, transplant type, disease severity, medical comorbidity index, age, or conditioning regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Routine laboratory values can assist in the identification of high-risk patients before delirium onset to improve early detection and treatment of delirium after HSCT.

Hospice eligibility in patients who died in a tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: Hospice is a service that patients, families, and physicians find beneficial, yet a majority of patients die without receiving hospice care. Little is known about how many hospitalized patients are hospice eligible at the time of hospitalization. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was used to examine all adult deaths (n = 688) at a tertiary care center during 2009. Charts were selected for full review if the death was nontraumatic and the patient had a hospital admission within 12 months of the terminal admission. The charts were examined for hospice eligibility based on medical criteria, evidence of a hospice discussion, and hospice enrollment. RESULTS: Two hundred nine patients had an admission in the year preceding the terminal admission and a nontraumatic death. Sixty percent were hospice eligible during the penultimate admission. Hospice discussions were documented in 14% of the hospice-eligible patients. Patients who were hospice eligible had more subspecialty consults on the penultimate admission compared to those not hospice eligible (P = 0.016), as well as more overall hospitalizations in the 12 months preceding their terminal admission (P = 0.0003), and fewer days between their penultimate admission and death (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The majority of terminally ill inpatients did not have a documented discussion of hospice with their care provider. Educating physicians to recognize the stepwise decline of most illnesses and hospice admission criteria will facilitate a more informed decision-making process for patients and their families. A consistent commitment to offer hospice earlier than the terminal admission would increase access to community or home-based care, potentially increasing quality of life.

Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in adult cancer patients with delirium.

Delirium is associated with a host of negative outcomes, including increased risk of mortality, longer hospital stay, and poor long-term cognitive function. The pathophysiology of delirium is not well understood. Cancer patients undergoing a bone marrow transplant (BMT) are at high risk for developing delirium and Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) could lead to better understanding of the delirium process. Fourteen BMT patients and 10 controls completed (1)H MRS, positioned above the corpus callosum, shortly after delirium onset or at study end if no delirium occurred. In the BMT-delirium group, statistically significantly elevated tCho/tCr was found in contrast to the BMT-no delirium group. The BMT-delirium group also showed statistically significantly lesser NAA/tCho compared with both controls and the BMT-no delirium group. Elevated choline and reduced NAA indicate inflammatory processes and white matter damage as well as neuronal metabolic impairment. Further research is needed to separate the choline peaks, as well as more detailed collection of medication regimens to determine whether a higher choline concentration is a function of the delirium process or cancer treatment effects.

The neuropsychological course of acute delirium in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients.

Although delirium is a common medical comorbidity with altered cognition as its defining feature, few publications have addressed the neuropsychological prodrome, profile, and recovery of patients tested during delirium. We characterize neuropsychological performance in 54 hemapoietic stem cell/bone marrow transplantation (BMT) patients shortly before, during, and after delirium and in BMT patients without delirium and 10 healthy adults. Patients were assessed prospectively before and after transplantation using a brief battery. BMT patients with delirium performed more poorly than comparisons and those without delirium on cross-sectional and trend analyses. Deficits were in expected areas of attention and memory, but also in psychomotor speed and learning. The patients with delirium did not return to normative "average" on any test during observation. Most tests showed a mild decline in the visit before delirium, a sharp decline with delirium onset, and variable performance in the following days. This study adds to the few investigations of neuropsychological performance surrounding delirium and provides targets for monitoring and early detection; Trails A and B, RBANS Coding, and List Recall may be useful for delirium assessment.

Strategies for finding and negotiating a first position in hospice and palliative medicine.

Securing a first job following training is an exciting and daunting task. Little formal guidance is available and trainees often find themselves confused, uncertain, and overwhelmed. This article is designed to provide a basic framework for fellows and new graduates to search for positions, apply, interview, and negotiate. The article focuses on securing an academic position; however, much of the advice is generalizable to a private-sector position. A short case example will be used to illustrate key points.

The role of the family physician in the referral and management of hospice patients.

Hospice is available for any patient who is terminally ill and chooses a palliative care approach. Because of the close relationship that primary care physicians often have with their patients, they are in a unique position to provide end-of-life care, which includes recognizing the need for and recommending hospice care when appropriate. The hospice benefit covers all expenses related to the terminal illness, including medication, nursing care, and equipment. Hospice should be considered when a patient has New York Heart Association class IV heart failure, severe dementia, activity-limiting lung disease, or metastatic cancer. Timely referrals are beneficial to both patient and hospice because of the cost related to initiating services and the time required to form a therapeutic relationship. Once the decision to refer to hospice is made, the family physician typically continues to be the patient's primary attending physician. The attending physician is expected to remain in charge of the patient's care, write orders, see the patient for office visits, and complete and sign the death certificate. Hospice, in turn, is a valuable physician resource when it comes to medication dosages, symptom management, and communication with patients and their families.