PURPOSE
During hospitalization, confusion occurs in 15~20% of older adults and persists in 5~10% of them. This study was designed to investigate effects of a five-day nursing intervention program designed to reduce confusion in hospitalized older adults. Subjects were inpatients over the age of 60 years old and were admitted in a surgical care unit.
METHODS
Data were collected from 111 patients. Subjects divided into one of two groups, 58 patients of the control group which received the usual nursing care; and 53 patients of the intervention group which received the usual nursing care plus nursing intervention program for reducing acute confusion. The Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS) and the Korean Mini-Mental Screening Examination (MMSE-K) were utilized.
RESULTS
1) Acute delirium was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group (chi2=4.22, p=.034) as well as the duration of the delirious state was significantly shortened (F=56.62, p<.001). Cognitive function of the intervention group was improved (F=21.14, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
The nursing intervention program reduced the incidence and duration of acute delirium of the elderly inpatients, as well as it helps them keep better cognitive function than the control group.

Citations

• Non-pharmacological interventions for preventing delirium in hospitalised non-ICU patients
  Jennifer K Burton, Louise E Craig, Shun Qi Yong, Najma Siddiqi, Elizabeth A Teale, Rebecca Woodhouse, Amanda J Barugh, Alison M Shepherd, Alan Brunton, Suzanne C Freeman, Alex J Sutton, Terry J Quinn
  Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• A Systematic Review of Non-pharmacological Interventions for Delirium Prevention in Elderly Inpatients
  Sang Bin You, Ju Hee Lee
  Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.2021; 28(2): 249.     CrossRef
• Effects of A Multicomponent Intervention Program for Preventing Delirium in Geriatric Patients in the Intensive Care Unit
  Ju Hee Hwang, Min Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2021; 33(6): 565.     CrossRef
• Non-pharmacological interventions for preventing delirium in hospitalised non-ICU patients
  Jennifer K Burton, Louise Craig, Shun Qi Yong, Najma Siddiqi, Elizabeth A Teale, Rebecca Woodhouse, Amanda J Barugh, Alison M Shepherd, Alan Brunton, Suzanne C Freeman, Alex J Sutton, Terry J Quinn
  Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef