Link between Dementia, Delirium and Declining Health while Hospitalized

A recent study shows that more than half of all patients with pre-existing dementia will experience delirium while hospitalized. Failure to detect and treat this health issue can lead to a faster decline of both physical and mental health, according to researchers. 

"This study is important, as delirium is often overlooked and minimized in the hospital setting, especially in persons with dementia," Donna M. Fick said, via a press release, Distinguished Professor of Nursing at Penn State and principal investigator for this study. "And it illustrates that delirium is deadly, costly and impacts patient functioning."

Researchers analyzed data from 139 hospitalized adults ages 65 and up with dementia, finding that the patients who developed delirium had a 25 percent chance of dying within 30 days.

Dementia, a non-specific disease that affects the brain, can greatly disrupt the daily life of those living with the disorder.

As Alzheimer's, a more general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities, is estimated to cause 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases, affecting close to 5.1 percent of people in the United States according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, delirium, on the other hand, is a reversible condition that can be quickly treated and resolved if caught early on. However, many of the symptoms are similar to Dementia, and often mistaken for this separate health issue.

Flick and colleagues focused on this combination of disorders, known as the delirium superimposed on dementia. They found a 32 percent incidence of new delirium in hospitalized patients with dementia. These patients typically stayed in the hospital for almost four days longer than those without delirium and also showed a reduced level of physical and mental abilities when they left the hospital and at their follow up appointments.

Background information from the study notes that common causes of delirium are infections, dehydration and medication changes. The study also notes that a third of hospital participants were dehydrated.

"Preventing delirium is important because we want to discharge patients at their baseline or improved functioning," said Fick, via the release. "We do not want them to go home with worse functioning than when they came into the hospital."

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More information regarding the study can be found vai the Journal of Hospital Medicine.