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Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist: evaluation of a new screening tool
Bergeron N, Dubois MJ, Dumont M, Dial S, Skrobik Y.. Intensive care medicine, 2001-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective Delirium in the intensive care unit is poorly defined. Clinical evaluation is difficult in the setting of unstable, often intubated patients. A screening tool may improve the detection of delirium. Method We created a screening checklist of eight items based on DSM criteria and features of delirium: altered level of consciousness, inattention, disorientation, hallucination or delusion, psychomotor agitation or retardation, inappropriate mood or speech, sleep/wake cycle disturbance, and symptom fluctuation. During 3 months, all patients admitted to a busy medical/surgical intensive care unit were evaluated, and the scale score was compared to a psychiatric evaluation. Results In 93 patients studied, 15 developed delirium. Fourteen (93%) of them had a score of 4 points or more. This score was also present in 15 (19%) of patients without delirium, 14 of whom had a known psychiatric illness, dementia, a structural neurological abnormality or encephalopathy. A ROC analysis was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the screening tool. The area under the ROC curve is 0.9017. Predicted sensitivity is 99% and specificity is 64%. Conclusion This study suggests that the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist can easily be applied by a clinician or a nurse in a busy critical care setting to screen all patients even when communication is compromised. The tool can be utilized quickly and helps to identify delirious patients. Earlier diagnosis may lead to earlier intervention and better patient care.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Bergeron, N., Dubois, M. J., Dumont, M., Dial, S., & Skrobik, Y. (2001). Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist: evaluation of a new screening tool. Intensive care medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001340100909
Vancouver
Bergeron N, Dubois MJ, Dumont M, Dial S, Skrobik Y. Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist: evaluation of a new screening tool. Intensive care medicine. 2001. doi:10.1007/s001340100909. PMID: 11430542.
BibTeX
@article{bergeron2001-11430542,
author = {Bergeron, N. and Dubois, M. J. and Dumont, M. and Dial, S. and Skrobik, Y.},
title = {{Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist: evaluation of a new screening tool}},
journal = {Intensive care medicine},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1007/s001340100909},
pmid = {11430542},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s001340100909}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- During 3 months, all patients admitted to a busy medical/surgical intensive care unit were evaluated, and the scale score was compared to a psychiatric evaluation.
- Results In 93 patients studied, 15 developed delirium.
- Conclusion This study suggests that the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist can easily be applied by a clinician or a nurse in a busy critical care setting to screen all patients even when communication is compromised.
Why it matters
This study evaluated a screening checklist for delirium in intensive care unit patients, not a treatment or cure for Alzheimer's disease. It found that the checklist could help detect delirium, but it does not address Alzheimer's disease directly.
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Study details
- Participants93
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Intensive care medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Intensive Care Medicine: journal h-index 312 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 93 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 1,486 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 55.0 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 11 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 253 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Yoanna Skrobik: h-index 58 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | McGill University: institution h-index 1,373 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11430542) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
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