Clinical performance of an ultra-brief delirium screening tool in hospitalized older adults

Introduction Delirium is a clinical syndrome that frequently occurs in hospitalized patients, especially in the elderly and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. However, delirium remains underdiagnosed by healthcare teams. Standardized assessments increase the chance of identifying the condition. The Ultra-Brief 2-item Screener (UB-2) is an effective tool for rapid screening for delirium. Considering the importance, the main objective of this study is to validate the UB-2 in elderly patients admitted to a tertiary hospital ward. Method This study included patients aged 65 years or older. In the first 48 hours of admission, patients were assessed using the UB-2 by an evaluator to screen for delirium. At another time, a second evaluator applied the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). Clinical data were collected in computerized medical records. Results 97 patients met the criteria for the study. Considering CAM-control as a reference, the UB-2 test had a sensitivity of 87.1% and specificity of 87.9%. We observed a higher age (p < 0,0001), cognitive impairment (p < 0.0001) and functional dependence (< 0.0001) in patients with delirium compared to those without delirium using the UB-2 and CAM control tests. Conclusion The UB-2 as a delirium screening tool appears to be feasible for clinical practice, with the group that deserves the most attention being those with advanced age, functional dependence, and cognitive impairment.