Prevalence of delirium in intensive care patients and association with sedoanalgesia, severity and mortality

Abstract

Objective: To establish the prevalence of delirium and its subsyndrome in intensive care and to associate it with the use of sedative and analgesia, severity and mortality. Method: Carried out in two intensive care units of adult patients, this is a quantitative and transversal study, with 157 patients, using the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale to assess the level of sedation and the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist for delirium. The T test and Chi-square test were applied for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of delirium was 22.3%, and 49.7% of the subsyndrome. Associations of the use of midazolam with the presence of delirium (p=0.05) and subsyndromal delirium (p<0.01), use of clonidine with the appearance of delirium (p<0.01) and of fentanyl with subsyndromal delirium (p=0.09). There were no significant differences between the mortality of patients with delirium (p=0.40) and subsyndromal delirium (p=0.86), as well as association with the mortality score. Conclusion: The use of sedoanalgesia is associated with the presence of delirium and subsyndromal delirium. No significant statistical associations were found between the severity and mortality scores.