Structural findings in cerebral images of patients with diagnosis of delirium in a high-complexity hospital in Bogota

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Delirium is a brain failure of multifactorial origin, common and sometimes related to a fatal outcome. It mainly affects hospitalized population over 65 years. Work-up with cerebral images is in discussion, because in most of of the occasions it is not related to the pathology. Current medical literature shows that routine imaging (tomography or brain resonance) are negative for acute injuries in up to 94 % of patients that meets delirium diagnostic criteria. In Colombia there are no descriptive studies in patients with delirium. Therefore, our objective was to describe the main radiological findings in brain imaging in patients diagnosed with delirium in the emergency room or admitted subjects in a high complexity hospital in Bogotá-Colombia, assessed by the department of neurology between October 2015 and October 2016.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study was carried out, including all patients diagnosed with delirium treated by neurology in hospitalization or emergencies.

RESULTS:

This research showed a total of 97 patients diagnosed with delirium; 79 (81 %) had brain images; of these, only 8 (10 %) showed acute injury in brain images, in patients who have signs of focalization this percentage was higher to 3 (27 %) than in those who did not have them 5 (7.3 %).

CONCLUSIONS:

The presence of acute brain injuries in patients with delirium is low. The fact of having signs of focal injury on examination increases the possibility of having acute injuries.