Preventing ICU Delirium
Location
Turner Gymnasium
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Presentation Type
Printed poster
Entry Number
31
Start Date
4-16-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
4-16-2026 1:15 PM
School
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Department
Nursing
Keywords
ICU, Delirium, Prevention, Interventions, Risk, Protocols
Abstract
Intensive Care Unit delirium is a common but preventable complication of receiving care in the ICU, often presenting with a new onset of confusion and related agitation. Preventing ICU delirium is important because it can affect the outcomes and overall health of patients. ICU delirium can lead to longer hospital stays and an increased risk for comorbidities and cognitive impairment. Non-pharmacological methods will be explored, and different evaluation tools for ICU delirium will be analyzed to determine their effectiveness in detecting risk before it develops. Patient-specific details, such as the reason for their admission, amount of sleep, and cognitive function, will be examined in relation to their risk for delirium. All of these interventions will be compared to standard care that is typical in the ICU setting, in relation to the outcomes and severity of ICU delirium. By looking at research from 2020 to 2025, the findings synthesize and review data from various qualitative and quantitative studies about ICU delirium. This reveals that including family in the care, ensuring adequate sleep and schedule, decreasing the amount of medications the patient is on, and correctly implementing and using protocols like CAM-ICU, can be effective in early detection and prevention of delirium in the ICU. These findings reiterate the critical importance of completing the small tasks that may not seem necessary in everyday patient care. Taking the time to complete prevention protocols and deliver patient-centered care may be effective in decreasing the number of patients who develop delirium during their ICU stay.
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Susan Braud
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Nursing
Rights Statement
The right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.
Preventing ICU Delirium
Turner Gymnasium
Intensive Care Unit delirium is a common but preventable complication of receiving care in the ICU, often presenting with a new onset of confusion and related agitation. Preventing ICU delirium is important because it can affect the outcomes and overall health of patients. ICU delirium can lead to longer hospital stays and an increased risk for comorbidities and cognitive impairment. Non-pharmacological methods will be explored, and different evaluation tools for ICU delirium will be analyzed to determine their effectiveness in detecting risk before it develops. Patient-specific details, such as the reason for their admission, amount of sleep, and cognitive function, will be examined in relation to their risk for delirium. All of these interventions will be compared to standard care that is typical in the ICU setting, in relation to the outcomes and severity of ICU delirium. By looking at research from 2020 to 2025, the findings synthesize and review data from various qualitative and quantitative studies about ICU delirium. This reveals that including family in the care, ensuring adequate sleep and schedule, decreasing the amount of medications the patient is on, and correctly implementing and using protocols like CAM-ICU, can be effective in early detection and prevention of delirium in the ICU. These findings reiterate the critical importance of completing the small tasks that may not seem necessary in everyday patient care. Taking the time to complete prevention protocols and deliver patient-centered care may be effective in decreasing the number of patients who develop delirium during their ICU stay.