Mortality Outcomes Among Patients Admitted to a Medical Assessment Unit with or Without Delirium

Introduction: Delirium has been consistently linked to poor health outcomes in the older people. There are limited studies investigating the outcomes in patients with delirium in the older population admitted to the acute medical assessment units (MAU). Objective: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of delirium on the various health outcomes in the older patients admitted to the MAU. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study based on analysis of hospital notes of patients older than 65 years admitted acutely to MAU at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr (YYF) Hospital. The primary endpoints were length of hospital stay, readmission, and mortality. The outcomes were compared in the older patients diagnosed with delirium and those without delirium. Results: 200 patients were included in the study. 100 with delirium and 100 without delirium. Patients with delirium had significantly longer hospital stay as compared to patients without delirium (22 vs 9 days) (p<0.001). Patients with delirium had a significantly (p<0.001) higher inpatient mortality as compared to patients without delirium. Patients with delirium also had a significantly higher 30-day and 90-day mortality as compared to patients without delirium. There was no significant difference in the 30-day readmission between patients with delirium and those without delirium (43% vs 57%). Conclusion: Poorer health outcomes were noted in older patients diagnosed with delirium on admission to the medical assessment unit in this study. The sub-analysis showed lower incidence of delirium in patients living with a companion. This needs further investigation with larger studies before concluding on significance of companionship in relation to delirium.