Although a majority of nursing home patients with acute illnesses may have episodes of delirium, the condition has been notoriously difficult to diagnose early, studies have shown.
A new tool, however, could help preempt and identify cases of delirium in seniors, and in turn, give caregivers a better chance to treat them.
A rapid-response electroencephalogram device, or EEG, enhanced with artificial intelligence capabilities, predicted delirium two days before onset with 97% accuracy, a research team recently reported.
Although treatment for delirium can be challenging, patients are more responsive to treatment in the days before actual onset.
Delirium can occur in up to 80% of critically ill older adults, but less than 10% of clinicians routinely screen for the condition, the researchers note. They added that in an ICU environment, testing for the condition is sometimes impossible.
The handheld EEG device offers a more efficient and cost-effective screening, particularly for patients in critical care units, the researchers stated.
Even if the episode abates, the onset of delirium following surgery — the most common post-operative condition displayed in older adults — could significantly speed up the rate of cognitive decline in seniors, as the McKnight’s Clinical Daily has reported.
“Earlier intervention may shorten the hospital length of stay, increase a patient’s chance to go home after hospital discharge, decrease mortality rates, and reduce the financial burden associated with delirium,” the researchers stated.
The study, published recently in the journal Nature, was led by a team from the University of South Carolina, Purdue University and East Carolina University.
