News and updates for today's conference
Chair Dr Hugh McIntyre
Consultant Physician, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust & Chair, Delirium Quality Standard Working Group, NICE
Dr Mcintyre is a Consultant Physician in East Sussex and Hon. Reader to Brighton and Sussex Medical School. He is the Secondary Care Member to the Horsham Mid Sussex and Crawley CCG Governing Bodies, Council member of the SEE Senate and a member of the Surrey and Sussex Clinical and Professional Cabinet. Dr McIntyre has been a NICE guideline committee member and peer reviewer; and is currently Chair of a NICE Quality Standards Advisory Committee. An author of over 100 publications including RCTs, he has contributed to National and International service development programmes and is an editorial board member and reviewer for international journals. His clinical interests include frailty and heart failure and (increasingly) philosophy and ethics.
Delirium Prevention
Dr Mani Santhana Krishnan, Consultant in Old Age/Liaison Psychiatry, Associate Clinical Director, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Secretary, Royal College of Psychiatrists Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry, Associate Dean & Regional Delirium Lead, Health Education England NE
Dr Mani Santhana Krishnan comments: "Call it a Delirium until proven otherwise........
20% of older adults presenting in hopsitals have delirium - higher percentage in elderly wards and ICU.
Delirium occurance has not changed over 4 decades - incidicates we are not doing enough.
Delirium causes distress and poorer clinica outcome.
You need awareness, knowledge and skill - what is delirium, what are the features.
Its important to follow a patient after an episode.
Suspect it, spot it, stop it!"
Pre-event abstract
Dr Krishnan will share his journey of raising delirium awareness in his region and making a social movement using the powers of social media and networking.
He will also share the educational videos he produced to raise delirium awareness stressing the importance of ‘Delirium is everybody’s Business’
What are the underlying causes of delirium? Latest evidence
Lucy Lewis, Consultant Practitioner Trainee: Older People and Frailty Pathway, Health Education England (South), Older Persons’ Mental Health Liaison, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Committee Nurse & AHP Council Representative, British Geriatric Society
Lucy comments: "Delirium can affect 1 in 8 hospital patients
1-2% of the general public will experience delirium
in the ED up to 1/4 will be experiencing delirium
Risk factors - Old people / frailty, have a current fracture/ sensory impairment, polypharmacy."
Pre-event abstract
Delirium is among the most common of medical emergencies. Regardless of setting, either in the acute hospital or in the community delirium is under diagnosed. With up to 75% of people in acute hospitals being undetected. There are often multiple causes for delirium and in up to 30% of cases, no underlying case is found. This presentation will discuss some of the key underlying causes to consider when a person presents with acute, new confusion. The use of antipsychotics will be explored in addition to non-pharmacological interventions. The assessment of delirium on a background of possible dementia will also be addressed.