Phenomenology, Etiology, and Severity of Delirium Among Patients Referred to Consultation-liaison Psychiatry Services in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study
- 1K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India.
Abstract
Background
Delirium is an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by disturbances in attention, awareness, and cognition. It is highly prevalent among hospitalized patients but remains under-recognized, particularly in its hypoactive form. Consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) services are pivotal for early identification, yet detailed clinical profiles from Indian tertiary-care settings are sparse.Methods
This hospital-based cross-sectional study enrolled 94 adult inpatients referred for acute confusional states between October 2022 and April 2024. We used the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98), the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), and the Delirium Etiology Checklist (DEC). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and one-way ANOVA. Statistical significance was set at p < .05.Results
The mean age was 59.29 ± 16.12 years; 81.9% were male. Severe impairment was most frequent in attention (52.1%), short-term memory (50.0%), and orientation (48.9%). Hyperactive delirium was predominant (81.9%). The cohort's mean total DRS-R-98 score was 21.94 ± 8.12. Increasing age showed a significant association with delirium subtype (F = 5.68, p = .005), with mixed and hypoactive presentations occurring in older patients. Metabolic/endocrine disturbances (91.5%) and systemic infections (40.4%) were the leading etiological contributors.Conclusions
Delirium in CLP referrals is characterized by marked cognitive impairment, predominance of hyperactive presentation, and multifactorial etiology. The over-representation of hyperactive cases likely reflects referral bias. Structured assessment tools and routine screening are essential for early detection, particularly of hypoactive delirium. Future multicenter prospective studies are warranted.
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BibTeX
@article{jha2026phenomenology,
title = {{Phenomenology, Etiology, and Severity of Delirium Among Patients Referred to Consultation-liaison Psychiatry Services in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study}},
author = {Priyanka Jha and Arun Bhat P and Shrinivasa Bhat U},
journal = {Indian journal of psychological medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1177/02537176261498248},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13716892},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Phenomenology, Etiology, and Severity of Delirium Among Patients Referred to Consultation-liaison Psychiatry Services in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study
AU - Priyanka Jha
AU - Arun Bhat P
AU - Shrinivasa Bhat U
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Indian journal of psychological medicine
DO - 10.1177/02537176261498248
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13716892
AB - Background Delirium is an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by disturbances in attention, awareness, and cognition. It is highly prevalent among hospitalized patients but remains under-recognized, particularly in its hypoactive form. Consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) services are pivotal for early identification, yet detailed clinical profiles from Indian tertiary-care settings are sparse.Methods This hospital-based cross-sectional study enrolled 94 adult inpatients referred for acute confusional states between October 2022 and April 2024. We used the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98), the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), and the Delirium Etiology Checklist (DEC). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and one-way ANOVA. Statistical significance was set at p < .05.Results The mean age was 59.29 ± 16.12 years; 81.9% were male. Severe impairment was most frequent in attention (52.1%), short-term memory (50.0%), and orientation (48.9%). Hyperactive delirium was predominant (81.9%). The cohort's mean total DRS-R-98 score was 21.94 ± 8.12. Increasing age showed a significant association with delirium subtype (F = 5.68, p = .005), with mixed and hypoactive presentations occurring in older patients. Metabolic/endocrine disturbances (91.5%) and systemic infections (40.4%) were the leading etiological contributors.Conclusions Delirium in CLP referrals is characterized by marked cognitive impairment, predominance of hyperactive presentation, and multifactorial etiology. The over-representation of hyperactive cases likely reflects referral bias. Structured assessment tools and routine screening are essential for early detection, particularly of hypoactive delirium. Future multicenter prospective studies are warranted.
SN - 0253-7176
SN - 0975-1564
ER -