Case Study: Delirium In Elderly Patients
Delirium in Elderly Patients
Karen Hull
Northern Arizona University
Delirium in Elderly Patients
As the human life span increases, acute care facilities are confronted with increasing numbers of elderly patient admissions. It is estimated that approximately one third of the elderly patients admitted to an acute care facility will develop symptoms of delirium (Brown, Fitzgerald, & Walsh, 2007). Delirium can be defined as “an acute confusional state characterized by inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered consciousness” (McAvay et al., 2007, p. 684) and is associated with high mortality rates, higher incidences of pressure ulcers, and longer hospital stays (Milisen, Lemiengre, Braes, & Foreman, 2005). The …show more content…
Research cannot be of use to anyone if the finding are inaccurate or biased. One potential barrier in maintaining trustworthiness and integrity is how the data is collected for use. When a single form of data collection is used, the credibility of the information obtained may come into question. A triangulation approach is desirable to enhance the validity of the conclusions and address possible bias (Polit & Beck, 2014). Transferability may be another possible barrier. To reduce the possibility of this occurring, the researcher could maintain a reflexive journal to bracket out preconceived notions or ideas. The researcher’s analysis of the interviews could be another obstacle in obtaining the true experience of the phenomenon. A person of a different culture may make comment or give non-verbal cues that are misread by the researcher. Returning to the participants with the analyzed data for validation is one way of verifying the information was not …show more content…
(2007). Delirium dichotomy: A review of recent literature. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 26(2), 238-247. doi:10.5172/conu.2007.26.2.238
Camus, V., Burtin, B., Simeone, I., Schwed, P., Gonthier, R., & Dubos, G. (2000). Factor analysis supports the evidence of existing hyperactive and hypoactive subtypes of delirium. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15(4), 313-316. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1166
Gupta, N., de Jonghe, J., Schieveld, J., Leonard, M., & Meagher, D. (2008). Delirium phenomenology: What can we learn from the symptoms of delirium? Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 65, 215-222. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.05.020
McAvay, G. J., Van Ness, P. H., Bogardus Jr, S. T., Zhang, Y., Leslie, D. L., Leo-Summers, L. S., & Inouye, S. K. (2007). Depressive Symptoms and the Risk of Incident Delirium in Older Hospitalized Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55(5), 684-691. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01150.x
Milisen, K., Lemiengre, J., Braes, T., & Foreman, M. D. (2005). Multicomponent intervention strategies for managing delirium in hospitalized older people: Systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(1), 79-90.
Karen Hull
Northern Arizona University
Delirium in Elderly Patients
As the human life span increases, acute care facilities are confronted with increasing numbers of elderly patient admissions. It is estimated that approximately one third of the elderly patients admitted to an acute care facility will develop symptoms of delirium (Brown, Fitzgerald, & Walsh, 2007). Delirium can be defined as “an acute confusional state characterized by inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered consciousness” (McAvay et al., 2007, p. 684) and is associated with high mortality rates, higher incidences of pressure ulcers, and longer hospital stays (Milisen, Lemiengre, Braes, & Foreman, 2005). The …show more content…
Research cannot be of use to anyone if the finding are inaccurate or biased. One potential barrier in maintaining trustworthiness and integrity is how the data is collected for use. When a single form of data collection is used, the credibility of the information obtained may come into question. A triangulation approach is desirable to enhance the validity of the conclusions and address possible bias (Polit & Beck, 2014). Transferability may be another possible barrier. To reduce the possibility of this occurring, the researcher could maintain a reflexive journal to bracket out preconceived notions or ideas. The researcher’s analysis of the interviews could be another obstacle in obtaining the true experience of the phenomenon. A person of a different culture may make comment or give non-verbal cues that are misread by the researcher. Returning to the participants with the analyzed data for validation is one way of verifying the information was not …show more content…
(2007). Delirium dichotomy: A review of recent literature. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 26(2), 238-247. doi:10.5172/conu.2007.26.2.238
Camus, V., Burtin, B., Simeone, I., Schwed, P., Gonthier, R., & Dubos, G. (2000). Factor analysis supports the evidence of existing hyperactive and hypoactive subtypes of delirium. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15(4), 313-316. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1166
Gupta, N., de Jonghe, J., Schieveld, J., Leonard, M., & Meagher, D. (2008). Delirium phenomenology: What can we learn from the symptoms of delirium? Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 65, 215-222. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.05.020
McAvay, G. J., Van Ness, P. H., Bogardus Jr, S. T., Zhang, Y., Leslie, D. L., Leo-Summers, L. S., & Inouye, S. K. (2007). Depressive Symptoms and the Risk of Incident Delirium in Older Hospitalized Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55(5), 684-691. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01150.x
Milisen, K., Lemiengre, J., Braes, T., & Foreman, M. D. (2005). Multicomponent intervention strategies for managing delirium in hospitalized older people: Systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(1), 79-90.