Home | American Delirium Society

#ADS21Indy Annual Meeting POSTPONED

June 12-14, 2022 | The Westin | Indianapolis, Indiana
CLICK to read the 2020 COVID-19 Update
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Patients & Families

What is Delirium? Delirium is a state of confusion that comes on very suddenly and lasts hours to days. If your loved one becomes delirious, it means she/he cannot think very clearly, can’t pay attention and is not really aware of their environment.

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The American Delirium Society is a community of professionals dedicated to improving delirium care. Our goals are to foster research, education, quality improvement, advocacy & implementation science to minimize the impact of delirium on short- and long-term health and well being of patients.

Delirium is a dangerous syndrome.

More than 7 million hospitalized Americans suffer from delirium each year.

Patients who experience delirium in the hospital (compared to patients without delirium) are more likely to:

Stay longer in the hospital and have more hospital associated complications
Experience higher mortality rates in the hospital and up to 6-12 months later
Lose physical function in the hospital and need long-term care after the hospital
Develop dementia or similar types of cognitive impairment even if the delirium clears
However, more than 60% of patients with delirium are not identified by the health care system!

What is this dangerous thing called Delirium? To learn more go to What is Delirium?

Get Involved

The issues surrounding assessment of attention, as part of a delirium assessment, were familiar to me as speech pathologists assess cognition. The information at the ADS annual meeting solidified so many observations that I had evaluating and treating patients in acute care. I walked away from the conference energized to apply the ideas presented. There are so many questions to pursue in the assessment and potential treatment of delirium. There is plenty for all disciplines to do.

Sharon Marbury, M.A., CCC-SLP
My co-authors and I observed quantified delirium at 60-82 % as a primary factor in unplanned extubations. ICU nurses at our hospital now assess patients for delirium every four hours to capture more hypoactive delirium and advocate patient’s readiness for weaning ventilation modes earlier to reduce the incidences of un-planned extubations.

Nelsa McGann-Grey, RN, BSHA, MSN/Ed
"Membership in the ADS provides opportunity for interprofessional networking and sharing of ideas with clinicians and scientists around the country and across the globe."

Leanne Boehm, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC
"During my third year of medical school, I cared for patients suffering from delirium across multiple medical disciplines and witnessed the ripple effects of pain and confusion it had on caregivers and medical staff. With this, I also saw great opportunity to improve patient care and hospital experiences through better understanding, identification and treatment of delirium. That hope sparked my interest in delirium."

Anita (Annie) Hargrave, MD Candidate
Early into my intern year I took care of several patients who became delirious, I was puzzled and intrigued by its acute onset and dramatic changes. I became more interested once I realized just how prevalent and serious this disease can be for patients and hospital systems. I'm working with ADS board member, Dr. Babar Khan to determine the risk factors associated with the development of psychiatric disorders following hospital discharge in ICU survivors who suffered from delirium. We hope this work will provide further insight towards enhancing care.

Chris Mosher MD

About

The American Delirium Society fosters research, education, quality improvement, advocacy & implementation science to minimize the impact of delirium on short- and long-term health and well being of patients.

Contact

6737 West Washington St, Suite 4210
Milwaukee, WI 53214
Contact ADS

#ADS21Indy Annual Meeting POSTPONED

June 12-14, 2022 | The Westin | Indianapolis, Indiana CLICK to read the 2020 COVID-19 Update

Patients & Families

What is Delirium? Delirium is a state of confusion that comes on very suddenly and lasts hours to days. If your loved one becomes delirious, it means she/he cannot think very clearly, can’t pay attention and is not really aware of their environment.

Delirium is a dangerous syndrome.

Join American Delirium Society today.

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June 12-14, 2022 | The Westin | Indianapolis, Indiana
CLICK to read the 2020 COVID-19 Update