RESEARCHERS TRYING TO CURB COSTLY HOSPITAL-ASSOCIATED DELIRIUM
Kelly Greene
Last year  Dr. Kelly Greene  intensive care director at Littleton Adventist Hospital  began studying delirium in her patients. She found that patients on a ventilator -- who are typically sedated -- suffered an 80 percent rate of delirium.
 Non-ventilated patients suffered delirium at a rate of 25 percent to 30 percent. Those patients with symptoms of delirium typically stayed in intensive care twice as long as more cognizant patients. They also suffered after their hospital stay with something not unlike post-traumatic stress disorder  Greene said.
 "It's a pretty traumatic experience for many folks who go through the ICU " Greene said.
 And the mental trauma can be easy to miss. Sometimes  Greene said  her patients seem perfectly content  even dozing through heavy sedation and pain management. Inside their head is a different case.
 "At first glance they'd be sitting in the ICU  fine  with no issues. They'd come back and tell us two days later 'I thought I was being kidnapped.' Or 'I saw spiders on the wall.' Or 'I thought I was on a cruise ship ' " Greene said.
 Since the Littleton Adventist study ended three months ago  Greene is leading a systemwide change that includes a delirium assessment as part of routine care for intensive care patients in Centura Health  Colorado's largest network of hospitals.
Last year  [TGT]began studying delirium in [TGT] patients. [TGT] found that patients on a ventilator -- who are typically sedated -- suffered an 80 percent rate of delirium.
 Non-ventilated patients suffered delirium at a rate of 25 percent to 30 percent. Those patients with symptoms of delirium typically stayed in intensive care twice as long as more cognizant patients. They also suffered after their hospital stay with something not unlike post-traumatic stress disorder  [TGT] said.
 "It's a pretty traumatic experience for many folks who go through the ICU [TGT] said.
 And the mental trauma can be easy to miss. Sometimes  [TGT] said  [TGT] patients seem perfectly content  even dozing through heavy sedation and pain management. Inside their head is a different case.
 "At first glance they'd be sitting in the ICU  fine  with no issues. They'd come back and tell us two days later 'I thought I was being kidnapped.' Or 'I saw spiders on the wall.' Or 'I thought I was on a cruise ship ' [TGT] said.
 Since the Littleton Adventist study ended three months ago  [TGT] is leading a systemwide change that includes a delirium assessment as part of routine care for intensive care patients in Centura Health  Colorado's largest network of hospitals.