Intensive care nurses' perceptions and awareness of delirium and delirium prevention guidelines

Delirium is an acute and fluctuating disturbance of cognition and is a common occurrence in critically ill patients. It is a manifestation of an acute brain dysfunction often attributed to higher survival rates and a subsequently aging population. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) treatment and survival often contributes towards development of delirium, and lack of or inappropriate management can translate into the development of long-term psychological effects that last even after discharge. While a lot is already known about this topic, and several assessment tools exist, these are not being consistently used by ICU nurses and as a result delirium often goes unrecognized, with unwarranted consequences.