American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sarhill, N.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, M. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sarhill, N.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, M. P.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 18, No. 5, 335-341 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/104990910101800509

Assessment of delirium in advanced cancer: The use of the bedside confusion scale

Nabeel Sarhill, MD

Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine (a World Health Organization Demonstration Project in Palliative Medicine), Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Declan Walsh, MSc, FACP, FRCP (Edin)

Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Kristine A. Nelson, MD

Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Susan LeGrand, MD

Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Mellar P. Davis, MD, FCCP

The Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio

We conducted a prospective assessment of 50 consecutive admissions to an acute palliative medicine unit, using the bedside confusion scale (BSCS). Information including age, gender, diagnosis, and the presence or absence of brain metastasis was collected. Possible predisposing factors for delirium were recorded. Forty-one of 50 consecutive admissions were screened. There were 18 men and 23 women with a median age of 65 years (average: 60-75). The most common diagnoses among all were lung and breast cancer. Thirteen patients were delirious (BSCS score of 3 2), 10 borderline (BSCS score = 1), and 21 normal (BSCS score = 0). Brain metastases and drugs appeared to be the most common predisposing factors of delirium. Forty percent of those that were delirious received haloperidol as symptomatic treatment. The BSCS is simple, portable, valid, quick, and easy to use by any medical team member. Delirium is common in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer.

Key Words: acute confusional state • advanced cancer • bedside confusion scale (BSCS) • delirium • haloperidol • symptom management


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Arch SurgHome page
A. R. Mitchinson, H. M. Kim, J. M. Rosenberg, M. Geisser, M. Kirsh, D. Cikrit, and D. B. Hinshaw
Acute Postoperative Pain Management Using Massage as an Adjuvant Therapy: A Randomized Trial
Arch Surg, December 1, 2007; 142(12): 1158 - 1167.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Palliat MedHome page
M. Henderson, S. Scott, and M. Hotopf
Use of the clock-drawing test in a hospice population
Palliative Medicine, October 1, 2007; 21(7): 559 - 565.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Palliat MedHome page
C. Centeno, A. Sanz, and E. Bruera
Delirium in advanced cancer patients
Palliative Medicine, April 1, 2004; 18(3): 184 - 194.
[Abstract] [PDF]