TABLE 2.
POTENTIAL CLINICAL RISK FACTORS FOR DELIRIUM*
| Variable | Persistent Coma | No Delirium Symptoms | Delirium Symptoms | P Value for Three-Way Comparison | P Value for Ever vs. Never Delirious |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 16 (14) | 67 (59) | 31 (27) | ||
| NIH Stroke Scale on admission | 29 (25 to 35) | 6 (2 to 16) | 8 (3 to 15) | <0.001 | 0.3 |
| Age, yr | 66.4 ± 13.5 | 61.7 ± 14.6 | 63.9 ± 12.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Length of stay in the intensive care unit | 2.2 (0.6 to 6.3) | 2.3 (1.1 to 6.7) | 7.0 (3.4 to 10.2) | <0.002 | 0.001 |
| Length of stay in the hospital | 2.4 (0.6 to 6.3) | 6.4 (4.0 to 13.2) | 13.2 (7.9 to 24.2) | <0.001 | 0.001 |
| Location | |||||
| Subcortical | 5 (31) | 37 (55) | 17 (55) | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| Lobar | 5 (31) | 20 (29) | 9 (29) | ||
| Infratentorial | 5 (31) | 9 (13) | 4 (13) | ||
| Other | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 1 (3) | ||
| Hematoma volume, ml | 35 (15 to 72) | 6 (1.4 to 15.8) | 10 (3 to 29) | <0.001 | 0.1 |
| Change in hematoma volume | 1.5 (−3.5 to 11.3) | 0.1 (−0.3 to 1.4) | −0.4 (−1 to 0.5) | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Intraventricular hemorrhage | 15 (94) | 18 (27) | 14 (45) | <0.001 | 0.07 |
| Pneumonia | 2 (13) | 6 (9) | 4 (13) | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Ventilator-free days (maximum 14) | >0 (0 to 0) | 14 (6 to 14) | 12 (6 to 14) | <0.001 | 0.3 |
| Levetiracetam, total mg | 1,500 (0 to 3,500) | 0 (0 to 5,250) | 0 (0 to 7,000) | 0.01 | 0.9 |
| Levetiracetam for prophylaxis | 9 (56) | 22 (33) | 10 (33) | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Phenytoin for prophylaxis | 1 (6) | 5 (8) | 2 (7) | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Seizure | 1 (6) | 4 (6) | 0 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Lorazepam, total mg | 0 (0 to 2) | 0 (0 to 1) | 0 (0 to 1.5) | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Midazolam, total mg | 0 | 0 (0 to 0.5) | 0 (0 to 3) | 0.2 | 0.04 |
| Any benzodiazepine use | 6 (37) | 31 (46) | 19 (61) | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Definition of abbreviation: NIH = National Institutes of Health.
Data are N (%), mean ± SD, or median (Q1 to Q3) as appropriate. The NIH Stroke Scale is a validated neurologic examination from 0 (no abnormality) to 42 (worst possible score), with scores of 8 indicating a moderately severe deficit.
*
Patients with persistent coma had large hematomas, severe neurologic injury, and a dismal prognosis. Among assessable patients the severity of neurologic injury, age, hematoma volume, and so forth were similar.