5th June 2023

Epidemiology

Delirium is common, occurring in some studies in >50% of medical inpatients aged over 50 years. It is more common after surgery, a stroke or intensive care admission. It is also common in the palliative care setting, where it occurs in up to 88% of patients in the final weeks before death.

Delirium is underdiagnosed, and it is thought that up to 50% of cases are missed in hospital inpatients. It is a marker of frailty and poor prognosis, both in the short and long term. In the short term, it leads to a higher risk of pressure sores, pneumonia, falls and an increased length of stay in hospital. Longer term, it leads to an accelerated rate of cognitive decline, higher rates of institutionalisation and death.