Implementing the New PAD Guidelines: Delirium Assessment

by Anne Pohlman

Overview

Delirium is an acute change in consciousness that is accompanied by inattention and a change in cognition or perceptual disturbance. A serious complication of ICU sedation, delirium affects up to 80% of ICU patients and is associated with increased length of stay, time on the ventilator, mortality, and long-term neuropsychological deficits. Yet, delirium goes undetected and untreated in more than 65% of cases. New SCCM guidelines for the management of pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) in adult ICU patients were published in January 2013. Capitalizing on recent advances in assessment-scale development, the PAD guidelines emphasize the use of valid, reliable tools for routine monitoring of ICU patients; these include the CAM-ICU and ICDSC to screen for delirium. This monograph focuses on the delirium component of the PAD guidelines. The author, Anne Pohlman, reviews the development of the guidelines and the importance of using validated assessment tools for detection and monitoring of delirium. She also presents the guidelines on delirium management, with strategies to improve ICU outcomes.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940148759232
Publisher:	ProCE, Inc.
Publication date:	08/19/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Anne S. Pohlman is Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist and Coordinator of Critical Care Clinical Research in the Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, at the University of Chicago. Ms. Pohlman received her master’s degree in nursing with a focus in critical care from Loyola University of Chicago, and her BSN from Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Ms. Pohlman has worked in the areas of critical and intensive care since 1986. During this time, she has spoken nationally and internationally to various groups regarding critical care, including topics such as sedation in the ICU, mechanical ventilation, and evidence-based practice. She has co-authored numerous articles and abstracts published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Critical Care Nurse, JAMA, AJRCCM, and Critical Care Medicine. She is a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Sigma Theta Tau.