Psychosomatics 45:426-431, October 2004
© 2004 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine
Instrument for Detection of Delirium in General Hospitals: Adaptation of the Confusion Assessment Method
M. González, M.D., Ph.D.,
J. de Pablo, M.D., Ph.D.,
E. Fuente, M.D.,
M. Valdés, M.D., Ph.D.,
J.M. Peri, Ph.D.,
M. Nomdedeu, M.D., and
S. Matrai, M.S.
Received June 16, 2003; revision received Dec. 19, 2003; accepted Jan. 30, 2004. From the IDIBAPS Clinical Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology and the Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Spain. Address reprint requests to Dr. de Pablo, Sección de Psiquiatría de Enlace del Instituto Clínico de Psiquiatría y Psicología, Hospital Clínico de Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; jdepablo{at}clinic.ub.es (e-mail).
Delirium is a common and severe disorder that is often misdiagnosed. The use of screening instruments is advisable for its early detection and treatment. In this study, the authors present an adaptation of the Confusion Assessment Method in order to improve its psychometric properties. One hundred fifty-three elderly inpatients were assessed in a four-phase procedure. Interrater reliability was high (kappa=0.89). Sensitivity was 90%, and specificity was 100%; the value for negative predictive accuracy was 97%, and the value for positive predictive accuracy was 100%. The adaptation has convergent agreement with two other mental status tests, the Mini-Mental Status Examination and the Delirium Rating Scale. Our results suggest that the adaptation of the Confusion Assessment Method is sensitive, specific, reliable, and easy to use by clinicians.
Key Words: hospital treatment • delirium
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