Effectiveness of a delirium risk assessment and multidisciplinary care approach in reducing delirium incidence among surgical intensive care unit patients: A retrospective pre-post intervention study

Background: Delirium is a common complication in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. It can lead to various adverse events. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of combining the use of the PREdiction of DELIRium (PRE-DELIRIC) model for delirium risk assessment and the use of a multicomponent care bundle for delirium assessment, prevention, and care in terms of reductions in the incidence of delirium among surgical ICU patients. Methods: This retrospective study included surgical ICU patients who had received PRE-DELIRIC-guided SMART/ SmART care (SMART care: SmART bundle plus multidisciplinary team; SmART care: Sleep/sweet sense of home (creating a comforting and restful environment for patients), Assessment (regular and thorough evaluation of patient needs and conditions), Release (revised endotracheal tube care/removal, restraint device care, and immobility reduction for patient comfort), and Time (reorientation of time to optimize patient care schedules) in our hospital between May 2022 and March 2023 (intervention group) and individuals who had received usual care between January 2021 and April 2022 (historical control group). The SmART intervention involves providing care in the following domains: sleep/sweet sense of home, assessment, release, and time. Patients with a PRE-DELIRIC score of > 30% received SMART care, which includes multidisciplinary (physicians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and physiotherapists) care in addition to SmART care. For the control group, usual care was provided following the guidelines for the prevention and management of pain, agitation, delirium, immobility, and sleep disruption. The primary outcome was delirium incidence during ICU stay, which was assessed using the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist. The secondary outcomes were the duration of ICU stay, rate of unplanned self-extubation, and status of ICU discharge. Results: The intervention and control groups comprised 184 and 197 patients, respectively; their mean ages were 63.7 +/- 18.4 years and 62.4 +/- 19.5 years, respectively. The incidence of delirium was significantly lower (p = 0.001) in the intervention group (22.3%) than in the control group (47.7%). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the PRE-DELIRIC-guided SMART/SmART care intervention is effective in preventing and managing delirium among surgical ICU patients.