Comparison of clinical outcomes of delirium with and without consultation liaison psychiatry services: Case-controlled retrospective study

BackgroundDelirium is a common neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with significant morbidity and healthcare burden. Consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) is frequently involved in delirium management, though evidence regarding outcomes of CLP referral remains limited.MethodsThis retrospective case-control study examined delirium outcomes over 6 months. Delirium patients referred to CLP were matched by age and gender with those not referred to CLP. Outcomes included length-of-stay (LoS), psychotropics prescribed (PP), mechanical restraint (MR), and Code Greys (CG). Within-group comparisons before and after CLP were also conducted.ResultsOf 1365 delirium cases, 20 CLP referrals were found and matched with 20 controls. The CLP group had a significantly longer LoS than controls (median 20.5 vs 9, p = .024). More psychotropics were prescribed for the CLP group than for the control group (median 1 vs 0.5, p = .33). Mechanical restraint occurred only in the CLP group, while CG rates were similar. The CLP involvement was associated with a non-significant increase in PP, alongside reductions in MR and CG.ConclusionsThe CLP involvement in delirium was associated with longer LoS and higher PP, likely reflecting referral of more complex cases. Modest reductions in MR and CG were observed. Larger prospective studies are required to clarify the impact of CLP on delirium outcomes.