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Aim: In general, delirium is reported to have a higher incidence in hospitalized patients and is associated with a higher risk of mortality. However, there is insufficient knowledge of the incidence and prognostic impact of delirium following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of delirium after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and to determine the relationship between delirium and associated factors. Methods: The study was a retrospective examination of the electronic medical records of 140 patients who underwent initial hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic cancers. The incidence of delirium occurring within 30 days of transplantation was assessed. We also examined its prognostic impact, pretransplantation risk factors, and association with graft-versus-host disease. Results: The incidence of delirium was 14.6%. Delirium was significantly associated with lower survival at 6 months posttransplant, but there was no significant effect of delirium on survival at 1 year or overall. A high or very high Disease Risk Index score was significantly associated with lower survival. Older age, a high or very high Disease Risk Index score, allogeneic transplantation, and lower oxygen saturation were identified as pretransplantation risk factors for delirium. A significant association was found between delirium and graft-versus-host disease. Conclusion: The incidence of delirium following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is relatively high, and delirium is associated with short-term survival. When pretransplantation risk factors are present, thorough prevention and early detection of delirium are essential.
Otsuki et al. (Wed,) studied this question.