[Number of teeth as indicator for individual risk for delirium]. / Zahnzahl als Indikator für individuelles Delirrisiko.

BACKGROUND: Recent research claims some interdependence between oral health and dementia; however, no empirical data could be found regarding the role of oral hygiene in delirium. This study investigated potential risk indicators related to oral hygiene in relation to development of delirium in the care of older patients. METHODS: A dental examination was performed in 120 patients in the context of a case-control study. The ratio of diseased patients with risk factors to diseased patients without risk factors describes the correlation between risk factors and the risk of disease. A binary logistic regression was performed to determine the correlation of the number of teeth to delirium. RESULTS: Every lost tooth enhances the delirium risk by 4.6%. Edentulous patients had a 2.66-fold higher risk to suffer from delirium. Caries experience and periodontitis has no significant impact on delirium prevalence. DISCUSSION: Both edentulousness and the number of lost teeth could be considered as risk indicators for delirium. Periodontitis or caries experience did not have a direct significant impact. The present study examined the merits of edentulousness and tooth loss as a screening parameter.

An anticholinergic burden score for German prescribers: score development.

BACKGROUND: Anticholinergic drugs put elderly patients at a higher risk for falls, cognitive decline, and delirium as well as peripheral adverse reactions like dry mouth or constipation. Prescribers are often unaware of the drug-based anticholinergic burden (ACB) of their patients. This study aimed to develop an anticholinergic burden score for drugs licensed in Germany to be used by clinicians at prescribing level. METHODS: A systematic literature search in pubmed assessed previously published ACB tools. Quantitative grading scores were extracted, reduced to drugs available in Germany, and reevaluated by expert discussion. Drugs were scored as having no, weak, moderate, or strong anticholinergic effects. Further drugs were identified in clinical routine and included as well. RESULTS: The literature search identified 692 different drugs, with 548 drugs available in Germany. After exclusion of drugs due to no systemic effect or scoring of drug combinations (n = 67) and evaluation of 26 additional identified drugs in clinical routine, 504 drugs were scored. Of those, 356 drugs were categorised as having no, 104 drugs were scored as weak, 18 as moderate and 29 as having strong anticholinergic effects. CONCLUSIONS: The newly created ACB score for drugs authorized in Germany can be used in daily clinical practice to reduce potentially inappropriate medications for elderly patients. Further clinical studies investigating its effect on reducing anticholinergic side effects are necessary for validation.

Breaking Bad Delirium: Methamphetamine and Boric Acid Toxicity with Hallucinations and Pseudosepsis.

OBJECTIVES: A 30-year-old patient presented with hallucinations and profound shock. He was initially misdiagnosed as having severe sepsis; once ingestions were considered, he was diagnosed as potentially having arsenic toxicity. SUMMARY: The clinical story reveals many instructional lessons that could aid in the evaluation and management of future patients. This man presented with large amounts of blue crystals around his nose and lips from inhaling and eating boric acid (an ant poison) so he could, as he put it, kill the ants "pouring into my mouth and nose and up into my brain." His profound pseudosepsis and sustained delirium were induced by co-ingestion of methamphetamine and a large quantity of boric acid. Delirium is a form of acute brain dysfunction that often is multifactorial in critical illness and, when seen in septic shock, is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, increased length of hospital stay, medical costs, higher mortality, and long-term cognitive impairment resembling dementia. Pseudosepsis is a noninfectious condition most commonly seen with ingestions such as salicylate (aspirin) toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: This report emphasizes the need to recognize agents that contain boric acid as an etiology of unexplained delirium and profound shock.

Antipsychotic medications for the treatment of delirium: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: We performed an updated meta-analysis of antipsychotic treatment in patients with delirium, based on a previous meta-analysis published in 2007. METHODS: Included in this study were randomised, placebo-controlled or usual care (UC) controlled trials of antipsychotics in adult patients with delirium. Our primary outcome measure was response rate at the study end point. The secondary outcome measures included improvement of severity of delirium, Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S), time to response (TTR), discontinuation rate and individual adverse effects. The risk ratio (RR), the number-needed-to-treat/harm (NNT/NNH), 95% CIs and standardised mean difference (SMD), were calculated. RESULTS: We identified 15 studies (mean duration: 9.8 days) for the systematic review (total n=949, amisulpride=20, aripiprazole=8, chlorpromazine=13, haloperidol=316, intramuscular olanzapine or haloperidol injection=62, olanzapine=144, placebo=75, quetiapine=125, risperidone=124, UC=30 and ziprasidone=32), 4 of which were conference abstracts and unpublished. When pooled as a group, antipsychotics were superior to placebo/UC in terms of response rate (RR=0.22, NNT=2), delirium severity scales scores (SMD=-1.27), CGI-S scores (SMD=-1.57) and TTR (SMD=-1.22). The pooled antipsychotic group was associated with a higher incidence of dry mouth (RR=13.0, NNH=5) and sedation (RR=4.59, NNH=5) compared with placebo/UC. Pooled second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) were associated with shorter TTR (SMD=-0.27) and a lower incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms (RR=0.31, NNH=7) compared with haloperidol. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that SGAs have a benefit for the treatment of delirium with regard to efficacy and safety compared with haloperidol. However, further study using larger samples is required.

Metabolomic Analysis in Saliva and Different Brain Regions of Older Mice with Postoperative Delirium Behaviors.

Objective: Postoperative delirium (POD) has become a critical challenge with severe consequences and increased incidences as the global population ages. However, the underlying mechanism is yet unknown. Our study aimed to explore the changes in metabolites in three specific brain regions and saliva of older mice with postoperative delirium behavior and to identify potential non-invasive biomarkers. Methods: Eighteen-month-old male C57/BL6 mice were randomly assigned to the anesthesia/surgery or control group. Behavioral tests were conducted 24 h before surgery and 6, 9, and 24 h after surgery. Complement C3 (C3) and S100 calcium-binding protein B protein (S100beta) levels were measured in the hippocampus, and a metabolomics analysis was performed on saliva, hippocampus, cortex, and amygdala samples. Results: In total, 43, 33, 38, and 14 differential metabolites were detected in the saliva, hippocampus, cortex, and amygdala, respectively. "Pyruvate" "alpha-linolenic acid" and "2-oleoyl-1-palmitoy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine" are enriched in one common pathway and may be potential non-invasive biomarkers for POD. Common changes were observed in the three brain regions, with the upregulation of 1-methylhistidine and downregulation of D-glutamine. Conclusion: Dysfunctions in energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter dysregulation are implicated in the development of POD. The identification of changes in the level of salivary metabolite biomarkers could aid in the development of noninvasive diagnostic methods for POD.

Postoperative delirium in oral and maxillofacial surgery: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium (POD) in the oral and maxillofacial settings has gained more attention in recent decades. Due to advances in medical technology, treatment possibilities have expanded treatment for elderly and frail patients. This scoping review explores the correlation between POD and oral and maxillofacial surgery, summarizing screening and management protocols and identifying risk factors in this surgical field. METHODS: This review follows the Scoping Review extension of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-ScR). A comprehensive literature search was performed using multiple databases, focusing on articles published from 2002 to 2023 that discuss delirium in oral and maxillofacial surgery settings. The review was registered beforehand in the Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/r2ebc ). RESULTS: From the initial 644 articles, 68 met the inclusion criteria. These studies highlighted the significant heterogeneity in POD diagnosis methods. The review identifies multiple risk factors across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases that influence the occurrence of POD. Significant and independent risk factors in multiple regression analysis were highlighted, creating a clinical prediction list for the occurrence of POD. CONCLUSION: It is crucial to preoperatively identify patients at risk for POD and actively modify these risks throughout the patient's hospital stay. Implementing nonpharmacological preventive measures for at-risk patients is recommended to decrease the incidence of POD. Future research should focus on creating standardized specialty-specific protocols incorporating validated assessment tools and addressing the full spectrum of risk factors associated with POD.

Diphenhydramine-Induced Antimuscarinic Delirium Treated with Physostigmine and Transdermal Rivastigmine.

INTRODUCTION: Recurrent physostigmine shortages present a challenge to healthcare providers treating antimuscarinic delirium. Other centrally acting acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as rivastigmine may represent a therapeutic alternative or adjunct during physostigmine shortage; however, previous reports of use have not documented serum antimuscarinic toxin concentrations, limiting evaluation of effectiveness. Combination therapy with physostigmine and rivastigmine has not been described. In this report, the authors present a case of diphenhydramine-induced antimuscarinic delirium with elevated diphenhydramine serum concentrations treated with physostigmine and transdermal rivastigmine without observed adverse effect. CASE REPORT: A 48-year-old female presented to an emergency department after ingesting 3.75 g (41.2 mg/kg) of diphenhydramine. She had antimuscarinic delirium with a presenting serum diphenhydramine concentration of 1500 ng/mL (therapeutic range, 25-112 ng/mL) and required two doses of physostigmine to avert intubation prior to intensive care unit (ICU) admission. At hospital hour 22, in the ICU, antimuscarinic delirium persisted but no further physostigmine was available due to hospital shortage. Therefore, a 9.5-mg transdermal rivastigmine patch was applied. By hospital hour 24, her delirium had resolved. A serum diphenhydramine concentration at hospital hour 25 was elevated at 760 ng/mL. Transdermal rivastigmine was discontinued at hospital hour 48 without recurrent delirium. Despite persistent normal mental status after rivastigmine discontinuation, the patient had a dry mouth, difficulty urinating, and mydriasis until hospital day 5. She never developed muscarinic toxicity. DISCUSSION: Transdermal rivastigmine may be a useful treatment alternative or adjunct during physostigmine shortage for antimuscarinic delirium and has a long duration of action without aspiration risk. Muscarinic toxicity was not observed.

Clinically assisted hydration in patients in the last days of life ('CHELsea II' trial): a cluster randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION: Provision of clinically assisted hydration (CAH) at the end of life is one of the most contentious issues in medicine. The aim of the 'CHELsea II' trial is to evaluate CAH in patients in the last days of life. The objectives are to assess the effect of CAH on delirium, audible upper airway secretions, pain and other symptoms, and overall survival, as well as the tolerability of CAH, and the health economic impact. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is a cluster randomised trial, involving 80 sites/clusters (mainly hospices) and 1600 patients. Sites will be randomised to an intervention, and this will become the standard of care during the trial. Intervention 'A' involves continuance of drinking (if appropriate), mouth care and usual end-of-life care. Intervention 'B' involves continuance of drinking, mouth care, usual end-of-life care and CAH, that is, parenteral fluids. The fluid may be given intravenously or subcutaneously, the type will be dextrose saline (4% dextrose, 0.18% sodium chloride) and the volume will be dependent on weight.Participants will be assessed every 4 hours by the clinical team. The primary endpoint is the proportion of participants who develop delirium determined using the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (using a cut-off score of ≥2). A mixed-effects logistic regression will be used to assess the difference in the odds of developing delirium between the interventions. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical committee approval has been granted by the Brighton and Sussex Research Ethics Committee (REC) (main REC for the UK: reference-IRAS 313640), and by the Scotland A REC (REC for adults with incapacity in Scotland: reference-22/SS/0053-IRAS-317637). The consent process follows the Mental Capacity Act: if the patient has capacity, then consent will be sought in the normal way; if the patient does not have capacity, then a personal/nominated consultee will be approached for advice about the patient entering the study. The consent process is slightly different in Scotland.The results of the trial will be published in general medical/palliative care journals, and presented at general medical/palliative care conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN65858561.

Patient-related and anesthesia-dependent determinants for postoperative delirium after oral and maxillofacial surgery. Results from a register-based case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for postoperative delirium (POD) after general oral and maxillofacial surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 2420 patients were screened postoperatively for POD using the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (NuDESC) before discharge from the post anesthesia caring unit (PACU). Basic health data and risk factors were collected. For analysis the study group (n=41) was compared to a control group of 164 randomly selected patients (case-control-ratio=1:4). To identify risk factors for POD multivariable logistic regression models were used. To see whether estimations remain stable, regression analysis was repeated for the subgroup of patients not undergoing dentoalveolar surgery (n=105). To estimate the risk for dentoalveolar surgery a logistic regression model was performed. RESULTS: Dementia was the only significant risk factor for POD (Odds ratio 41.5; 95% CI 5.48-314), also for patients undergoing other than dentoalveolar surgery (58.1; 1.70-1983). Patients undergoing dentoalveolar surgery were more often suffering from dementia (35.5; 2.85-441), other psychiatric and neurological disorders (3.15; 1.05-9.43), were of younger age (0.97; 0.94-1.00) and had higher anesthesiological risk (3.95; 1.04-14.9). CONCLUSION: Patients with dementia are at higher risk to develop POD after oral and maxillofacial surgery. We found a strong interdependence between age, dementia, ASA-Score and dentoalveolar surgery.

Nonadherence to Geriatric-Focused Practices in Older Intensive Care Unit Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Older adults account for more than half of all admissions to intensive care units; most remain alive at 1 year, but with long-term sequelae. OBJECTIVE: To explore geriatric-focused practices and associated outcomes in older intensive care survivors. METHODS: In a 1-year, retrospective, cohort study of patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit and subsequently transferred to the medicine service, adherence to geriatric-focused practices and associated clinical outcomes during intensive care were determined. RESULTS: A total of 179 patients (mean age, 80.5 years) met inclusion criteria. Nonadherence to geriatric-focused practices, including nothing by mouth (P = .004), exposure to benzodiazepines (P = .007), and use of restraints (P < .001), were associated with longer stay in the intensive care unit. Nothing by mouth (P = .002) and restraint use (P = .003) were significantly associated with longer hospital stays. Bladder catheters were associated with hospital-acquired pressure injuries (odds ratio, 8.9; 95% CI, 1.2-67.9) and discharge to rehabilitation (odds ratio, 8.9; 95% CI, 1.2-67.9). Nothing by mouth (odds ratio, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2-8.0) and restraints (odds ratio, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.8) were also associated with an increase in 30-day readmission. Although 95% of the patients were assessed at least once by using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (overall 2334 assessments documented), only 3.4% had an assessment that indicated delirium; 54.6% of these assessments were inaccurate. CONCLUSION: Although initiatives have increased awareness of the challenges, implementation of geriatric-focused practices in intensive care is inconsistent.

[A study of using dexmedetomidine in ventilator bundle treatment in an ICU].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the sedative effect and safety of dexmedetomidine and midazolam in the intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing ventilator bundle treatment. METHODS: A prospective single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. Ninety patients receiving ICU ventilator-assisted therapy and ventilator bundle treatments for more than 3 days in the First Department of Critical Care Medicine of the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2013 to December 2014 were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into two groups for sedative treatment. The patients in dexmedetomidine group (n = 42) were given dexmedetomidine 0.2-0.7 µg x kg(-1) x h(-1) to achieve a goal of satisfactory sedation [Richmond agitation-sedation scale (RASS) score 0 to - 2 during the day, and -1 to -3 at night). The patients in midazolam group (n = 48) were given midazolam 2-3 mg intravenously first, and then 0.05 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1) for maintenance. The drug dose was adjusted according to RASS every 4 hours to maintain the appropriate sedation depth. The patients in both groups received continuous intravenous infusion of fentanyl for analgesia. Ventilator bundle treatments included the head of a bed up 30 degrees to 45 degrees, awaken and extubation appraisal, daily use of proton pump inhibitors for peptic ulcer prevention, prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), chlorhexidine mouth nursing, and removal of sputum by suction from subglottic area. When the patients in both groups obtained satisfactory target sedation, daily awakening was conducted, and spontaneous breathing test (SBT) was carried out to determine optional weaning time. When the condition was optimal, weaning was conducted, otherwise ventilator bundle treatments were continued. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), respiratory frequency (RR) were monitored before and 15, 30, 60, 120, 180 minutes after the treatment, and at the moment of extubation and 30 minutes after extubation. The duration of mechanical ventilation, extubation time, length of ICU stay, and the incidence of adverse events were also recorded. RESULTS: Both dexmedetomidine and midazolam could give rise to sedation with same score of analgesia in patients in both groups, and similar effect of sedation and analgesia could be achieved. Compared with midazolam, dexmedetomidine could significantly reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation (hours: 108.33 ± 21.96 vs. 119.85 ± 20.29, t = -2.586, P = 0.011), earlier extubation time (hours: 112.95 ± 22.20 vs. 128.58 ± 26.18, = -3.031, P = 0.003), length of ICU stay (hours: 149.21 ± 20.47 vs. 163.88 ± 33.59, = -2.457, P = 0.016), the incidence of delirium [9.5% (4/42) vs. 31.2% (15/48 ), χ2 = 6.349, P = 0.012], but it would elevate the incidence of severe hypotension [28.6% (12/42) vs. 8.3% (4/48), χ2 = 6.277, P = 0.012] and severe bradycardia [19.0% (8/42) vs. 8.3% (4/48), χ2 = 2.225, P = 0.136]. Both drugs could lower SBP, DBP, MAP, and HR, and the effect in dexmedetomidine group was more significant from 60 minutes after treatment [SBP (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 113.12 ± 14.42 vs. 124.40 ± 15.79, DBP (mmHg): 69.02 ± 9.62 vs. 76.94 ± 10.41, MAP (mmHg): 83.76 ± 10.50 vs. 92.77 ± 11.87, HR (bpm): 79.19 ± 12.28 vs. 87.42 ± 17.77, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01]. Both sedatives could significantly lower the rate of spontaneous breathing, and the effect of midazolam group was more significant from 60 minutes after treatment compared with dexmedetomidine group (times/min: 18.27 ± 4.29 vs. 20.07 ± 4.11, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The sedative effects of dexmedetomidine in the ICU patients treated with ventilator bundle treatment are satisfactory, and it can shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation, extubation time and length of ICU stay, reduce the incidence of delirium. However, monitoring should be strengthened in order to prevented and control the adverse effects such as severe hypotension and severe bradycardia.