Occupational therapy for delirium management in elderly patients without mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit: A pilot randomized clinical trial

Abstract

© 2016 Elsevier Inc.Purpose Delirium has negative consequences such as increased mortality, hospital expenses and decreased cognitive and functional status. This research aims to determine the impact of occupational therapy intervention in duration, incidence and severity of delirium in elderly patients in the intensive care unit; secondary outcome was to assess functionality at hospital discharge. Methods This is a pilot randomized clinical trial of patients without mechanical ventilation for 60 years. Patients were assigned to a control group that received standard strategies of prevention (n = 70) or to an experimental group that received standard strategies plus occupational therapy twice a day for 5 days (n = 70). Delirium was valued with Confusion Assessment Method and Delirium Rating Scale, and functional outcomes at discharge with Functional Independence Measure, Hand Dynamometer, and Mini-Mental State Examination. Results A total of 140 participants were recruited. The experim