Table 1.
Participant characteristics according to diagnosis of delirium
| Delirium (N = 429, 22.9 %) | No delirium (N = 1438, 77.1 %) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 84.8 ± 6.7 | 81.1 ± 7.6 | < .001 |
| Female gender, n (%) | 249 (58.0) | 833 (57.9) | 1.000 |
| Education, years | 6.2 ± 3.6 | 6.8 ± 3.8 | .006 |
| ADL before admission, median score (IQR) | 1 (0–4) | 5 (2–6) | < .001 |
| 0 functions spared | 186 (43.4) | 155 (10.8) | |
| 1 function spared | 66 (15.4) | 174 (12.1) | < .001 |
| 2 to 5 functions spared | 118 (27.5) | 471 (33.8) | |
| 6 functions spared | 59 (13.8) | 638 (44.4) | |
| Nutritional status, n (%) | |||
| Well nourished | 156 (36.4) | 949 (66.0) | < .001 |
| At risk of malnutrition | 215 (50.1) | 414 (28.8) | |
| Malnourished | 58 (13.5) | 75 (5.2) | |
| Charlson index (excluding dementia), median score (IQR) | 2 (1–4) | 2 (1–4) | .87 |
| Dementia, n (%) | 227 (52.9) | 222 (15.4) | < .001 |
| No. of drugs, on admission, median score (IQR) | 5 (4–-7) | 5 (3–7) | .56 |
| Diuretics, n (%) | 202 (47.1) | 727 (50.6) | .22 |
| Antihypertensive drugs, n (%) | 241 (56.2) | 939 (65.3) | .001 |
| Antiplatelet drugs, n (%) | 174 (49.6) | 612 (42.6) | .47 |
| Antiarrhythmic drugs, n (%) | 39 (9.1) | 173 (12.0) | .10 |
| Statins/lipid lowering drugs, n (%) | 45 (10.5) | 297 (20.7) | < .001 |
| Antidiabetics (including insulin), n (%) | 72 (16.8) | 284 (19.7) | .18 |
| Antiulcer drugs, n (%) | 270 (62.9) | 980 (68.2) | .04 |
| Antibiotics, n (%) | 186 (43.4) | 433 (30.1) | < .001 |
| Benzodiazepines, n (%) | 93 (21.7) | 360 (25.0) | .16 |
| Antipsychotics, n (%) | 107 (28.3) | 119 (9.1) | < .001 |
| Antidepressants, n (%) | 112 (26.1) | 278 (19.3) | .003 |
| Antiepileptics, n (%) | 32 (7.5) | 93 (6.5) | .51 |
| AChE-I/memantine, n (%) | 15 (3.5) | 24 (1.7) | .03 |
| Feeding tubes (NT or PEG), n (%) | 20 (4.7) | 20 (1.4) | < .001 |
| Venous catheter, n (%) | 244 (56.9) | 694 (42.0) | < .001 |
| Urinary catheter, n (%) | 199 (46.4) | 340 (23.6) | < .001 |
| Physical restraints, n (%) | 268 (62.5) | 427 (29.7) | < .001 |
Data are expressed as mean + SD unless otherwise specified; IQR interquartile range, p value: significance at one-way ANOVA or t test and at Kruskal-Wallis test or Mann-Whitney U test for normally and abnormally distributed data, respectively
ADL Activities of Daily Living score, AChE-I acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, NT nasogastric tube, PEG percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy