73.6% of COVID-19 patients in ICUs become delirious, more likely to die

Implications of the American study mean that doctors should pay more attention and treat patients with delirium as their condition is more likely to worsen.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A patient suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is treated an the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). May 6, 2020 (photo credit: STEPHANE MAHE / REUTERS)
A patient suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is treated an the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). May 6, 2020
(photo credit: STEPHANE MAHE / REUTERS)
Almost three-quarters of patients admitted to intensive care units in the United States with coronavirus experienced delirium, which lasted for an average of seven days, a study conducted by researches from the Indiana University School of Medicine has revealed. 
The researchers also found that "mortality was 26.4% in patients with delirium compared to 15.8% in patients without delirium," the study concluded.
Implications of the study mean that doctors should pay more attention and treat patients with delirium as their condition is more likely to worsen.
"Clinical attention to prevent and manage delirium and reduce delirium duration and severity is urgently needed for patients with COVID-19," the researchers wrote as a result of their findings.
The researchers further noticed that "invasive mechanical ventilation is significantly associated with odds of delirium."
Previous studies conducted on COVID-19 and delirium have been published, including one in examining coronavirus cases from Italy and the UK, which showed that "People hospitalized with severe coronavirus infections are likely to experience delirium, confusion or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."
Furthermore, in a study conducted in Wuhan, China, it was found that 36% of coronavirus patients had neurological symptoms such as strokes and headaches.