Screening for Delirium During Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation

ObjectiveTo assess feasibility of routine delirium screening using the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD) in children admitted for rehabilitation with acquired brain injury (ABI), report on the prevalence of positive delirium screens in this population, and explore longitudinal trends in CAPD scores and their association with rehabilitation outcomes.DesignRetrospective study.SettingPediatric inpatient rehabilitation unit.Participants144 children (median 10.8 years) with ABI.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasuresPercent compliance with twice daily delirium screening; prevalence of positive delirium screens; trajectories in CAPD scores and their relationship with Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM®) scores.ResultsScreening was feasible (mean 75% compliance for each of 144 children). Of 16,136 delirium screens, 29% were positive. 62% of children had ≥1 positive screen. Four primary patterns of CAPD trajectories were identified: Static Encephalopathy (10%), Episodic Delirium (10%), Improving (32%), No Delirium (48%). Validity of these trajectories was demonstrated through association with WeeFIM and CALS outcomes. Younger age at admission was associated with positive delirium screens, and rehabilitation length of stay was significantly longer for the Improving group.ConclusionsDelirium occurs frequently in children with ABI during inpatient rehabilitation. Routine delirium screening provides clinically relevant information including the potential to facilitate early detection and intervention for medical complications. Longitudinal ratings of delirium symptoms may also have a role in developing a standardized definition for Post Traumatic Confusional State (PTCS) stage of recovery in children.