Reduction of the Incidence of Delirium in CCU: A Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Electrolyte imbalance, fear of death and illness, and homesickness are among the factors that may susceptible the patients hospitalized at Coronary Care Units (CCUs) to delirium. This study aimed to investigate the effect of modification of sensory stimulations on the reduction of delirium occurrence rate in patients admitted to CCU. Methods: The present clinical trial was performed on 80 patients hospitalized at the CCU of Vasei Hospital affiliated to Sabzevar Medical University, Iran. The subjects were randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups (40 subjects in each). The control group received no intervention, while some environmental modifications like putting a clock and a calendar at the patient’s bedside were provided for the patients in the experimental group. Neecham Confusion Scale was used to collect the necessary data concerning the occurrence of delirium in both groups, twice a day (morning and afternoon) for 3 consecutive days. The obtained data were analyzed by Independent t-test, Mann Whitney U Test, and logarithmic link for the model fit using SAS.  Results: The results showed 14 (35%) cases of delirium in the control group, and 3 (7.5%) cases in the experimental group. Moreover, the results of the analyses indicated no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups, on the first day (P=0.74). However, the 2 groups were significantly different in terms of delirium occurrence, on the second (P=0.03) and the third (P=0.003) days.  Conclusion: The results confirmed that modification of the sensory stimulations can lead to a significant reduction of the delirium rate among the patients hospitalized at CCUs.