Background:

Delirium is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the general hospitalized population. Few information exists on risk factors in patients with neurological disease.

Objective:

This study was to analyze risk factors for delirium in patients presenting to a neurological emergency department.

Methods:

This study was observational prospective cohort study. We included all patients with neurological disease, admitted to the emergency department with a stay of more than 8 h, in the period from January to April 2022. The confusion assessment method-intensive care unit delirium detection instrument and DSM-5 criteria were applied to all patients. We obtained information on epidemiological, clinical, and paraclinical variables at the time of admission. Through a univariate and multivariate logistic regression model, we analyzed risk factors for delirium.

Results:

Of 3661 patients treated in the emergency department, 189 patients were included, 60.8% male gender, age 48 ± 19 years; 44 (23.2%) met criteria for delirium, 81% were diagnosed on admission; delirium scale score/index 12 (interquartile range [IQR] 10-12), and duration of delirium 5 (IQR 2-11) days. Clinical history for risk of delirium: previous delirium (odds ratio [OR] 3.9, 95% CI 2.4-6.1, p = 0.003), stroke (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4-3.9, p = 0.009), neurosurgery (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.8, p = 0.024), and use of psychoactive drugs (OR 2.5, CI9 5% 1.3-4.6, p = 0.021). The following variables were independent risk factors for delirium through the multivariate logistic regression model:uncontrolled crisis [OR 5.4 (95% CI 1.2-22.9), p = 0.023], supratentorial structural brain lesion [OR 6.1 (95% CI 1.7-21.2), p = 0.004], and neuroinfection OR 9.6 (95% CI 2.9-31.4), p ≤ 0.001].

Conclusions:

The frequency of delirium is 23.2% in patients presenting to the neurological emergency department; uncontrolled epilepsy, neuroinfection, and supratentorial brain lesions are independent risk factors for delirium.