Delirium risk screening and haloperidol prophylaxis program in hip fracture patients is a helpful tool in identifying high-risk patients, but does not reduce the incidence of delirium
2011

Delirium Risk Screening and Haloperidol Prophylaxis in Hip Fracture Patients

Sample size: 445 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Vochteloo Anne JH, Moerman Sophie, Borger van der Burg Boudewijn LS, de Boo Maarten, de Vries Mark R, Niesten Dieu-Donné, Tuinebreijer Wim E, Nelissen Rob GHH, Pilot Peter

Primary Institution: Reinier de Graaf Group

Hypothesis

Does prophylactic treatment with haloperidol reduce the incidence of delirium in high-risk hip fracture patients?

Conclusion

The delirium prevention protocol did not reduce the incidence of delirium in hip fracture patients.

Supporting Evidence

  • The RD-score identified high-risk patients with a higher incidence of delirium.
  • Delirium incidence was not significantly different from historical data.
  • High-risk patients had longer hospital stays and higher mortality rates.

Takeaway

Doctors tried to prevent confusion in older patients with hip fractures by giving them a medicine called haloperidol, but it didn't help reduce confusion as they hoped.

Methodology

This was a prospective cohort study assessing hip fracture patients for delirium risk using the Risk Model for Delirium (RD) score.

Potential Biases

There may have been bias in the treatment protocol adherence, as some patients did not receive prophylaxis as intended.

Limitations

The study relied on clinical diagnosis of delirium, which can be subjective, and did not use standardized assessment tools.

Participant Demographics

Patients were aged 65 years and older, with a mix of genders and varying health statuses.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.003

Confidence Interval

2.43-7.02

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2318-11-39

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