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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Semin Neurol. 2024 Oct 11;44(6):732–751. doi: 10.1055/s-0044-1791543

Table 3.

Baseline cognitive impairment or dementia as independent risk factors for delirium

Study (year) Population Cognitive baseline Delirium measure Mean age (y) % delirium Effect size (adjusted) (95% CI)
Arbabi et al32 Prospective, observational trial (n = 220) patients History of dementia RASS, CAM 59 10% OR: 10.6 (1.2–93.9)
Ahmed and Kuo33 All geriatric patients, aged 65 years and older, who underwent hip hemiarthroplasty following a hip fracture (n = 13,174) History of dementia Chart method 83 30% OR: 2.6 (2.3–2.9)
Jaatinen et al34 Hip fracture, aged 65 y or more (n = 476) No known cognitive disorder CAM 18% OR: 2.29 (1.39–3.79)
O’Regan et al35 Medical inpatients ≥70 years (n = 555) History of dementia Revised Delirium Rating Scale (DRS-R98) 33% OR: 2.5 (1.0–6.4)
Sprung et al36 Mayo Clinic Study of Aging exposed to anesthesia, age ≥65 y (n = 2014) MCI/dementia (n = 347) CAM-ICU 80 3.7% OR: 2.53 (1.52–4.21)
Lewis et al37 Medical inpatients (Tanzania) age >60 y (n = 494) Neurocognitive battery, then expert panel for DSM-IV Neurocognitive battery, then expert panel for DSM-V 75 19% OR: 3.4 (2.0–6.0)
Davis et al38 Vantaa 85+ cohort, n = 465 DSM-III-R By reported history, DSM-III-R criteria 88 81 episodes OR: 0.95 (0.92–0.99)
For every MMSE point lost, the risk of incident delirium increased by 5%
Zeng et al39 Medical inpatients age ≥50 (n = 162) MMSE ≤ 24
Mini-Cog ≤ 2
AD8 ≥ 2
Dementia = (MC)2 ≥ 2
CAM 69 14% RR: 5.5 (2.7–11.1) by MMSE
RR: 2.7 (1.3–5.7) by Mini-Cog
RR: 2.4 (1.1–5.1) by AD8
RR: 2.5 (1.2–5.5) by dementia = (MC)2
Kennedy et al40 Emergency department, age ≥ 65 y (n = 700) Documented dementia by chart Prevalent delirium by CAM 77 9% OR: 4.3 (2.2–8.5)
Koster et al41 Elective cardiac surgery, age ≥ 70 y (n = 300) MMSE < 23 DOSS 74 17% OR: 4.5 (1.9–13)
Moerman et al42 Acute hip fracture, age ≥ 65 y (n = 378) Clinical diagnosis of dementia Prevalent delirium by DSM-IV 84 27% OR: 2.8 (1.7–4.6)
Bo et al43 Patients age ≥ 70 years admitted to medical or geriatric ward (n = 252) SPMSQ for the presence and severity of cognitive impairment Incident delirium by CAM 82 11% RR: 2.1 (1.6–2.6)
Rudolph et al44 Planned cardiac surgery, age ≥60 y (development n = 122; validation = 109) Preoperative MMSE ≤ 23 Incident delirium by CAM 75 44% RR: 1.3 (1.0–1.7)
Kalisvaart et al45 Elective hip surgery, age ≥ 70 y (n = 603) Preoperative MMSE <24 Postoperative delirium by DSM-IV and CAM 78 12% RR: 5.5 (3.6–8.6)
Wilson et al46 Patients aged ≥ 75 y admitted to an acute medical ward (n = 100) IQCODE to establish the presence of cognitive change over time Incident delirium by DSM-III 85 12% OR: 3.2 (1.2–9.0)
O’Keeffe et al47 Acute medical admissions to geriatric medicine unit (n = 225) Clinical diagnosis of dementia or BDRS ≥4 Incident delirium by DSM-III 82 28% OR: 4.8 (2.0–11.6)
Marcantonio et al48 Elective surgical admissions, age ≥ 50 y (n = 1,341) TICS <30 Postoperative delirium by CAM 68 9% OR: 4.2 (2.4–7.3)
Pompei et al49 Acute hospital medical and surgical admissions, age ≥ 65 y with no delirium (development n = 432; validation n = 323) MMSE < 24 (education adjusted) Incident delirium by DSM-III-R 74 15% OR: 3.6 (2.1–6.2)
Inouye et al50 Acute hospital medical admissions, age ≥ 70 y with no dementia or delirium (development n = 107; validation n = 174) MMSE < 24 on admission Incident delirium by CAM 79 25% RR: 2.8 (1.2–6.7)

Abbreviations: BDRS, Blessed Dementia Rating Scale; CAM, Confusion Assessment Method; DOSS, Delirium Observation Screening Scale; IQCODE, Informant Questionnaire for Cognitive Decline in the Elderly; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; OR, odds ratio; RR, relative risk; SPMSQ, Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire; TICS, telephone interview for cognitive status.