Is Delirium an Unrecognized Threat to Patient Safety in Korean Intensive Care Units?

Abstract

Delirium is an emerging topic in patient safety. However, in Korea, delirium is still underrecognized despite high incidence rates in Korean hospitals. We studied the impact of delirium on patient outcomes in Korean intensive care units (ICUs) and found that delirium is associated with higher in-hospital mortality, shorter survival over the course of hospitalization, longer ICU and hospital stays, more frequent readmission to the ICU for the same hospitalization event, and higher health care costs.