Retrospective Cohort Study of Emergency Department to PICU Transfers: Emergency Department Factors Associated With Delirium Development Within 24 Hours of Hospitalization.

OBJECTIVES

Many PICU admissions start with presentation in the emergency department (ED). However, we do not know whether there are any ED-related factors associated with the subsequent development of pediatric delirium (PD) within 24 hours of PICU admission.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Single-center ED and PICU serving a quaternary referral center in the United States.

PATIENTS: Children younger than 18 years old presenting to the ED between January 2022 and December 2023 who required direct admission to the PICU, and who had at least one positive delirium screening within 24 hours of the admission.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

The presence of delirium in the PICU was defined as a Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD) score of 9 and higher. We identified 138 patients for the final analysis. Overall, 51 of 138 patients (37%) developed PD within 24 hours of admission. The majority of delirium cases were classified as hypoactive (53%, 27/51) and mixed (31%, 16/51) subtypes, while only 16% (8/51) were identified as hyperactive delirium. Factors associated with greater odds (95% CI) of delirium in the PICU in multivariable analysis were use of mechanical ventilation (odds ratio [OR], 3.42 [95% CI, 1.09-10.78]; p = 0.04) and intermittent urinary catheterization (OR, 3.7 [95% CI, 1.21-11.30]; p = 0.02). Initial CAPD score positively correlated with PICU length of stay (LOS; r = 0.32; p < 0.01), Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 (PIM 3) score ( r = 0.26; p < 0.01), and negatively correlated with emergency severity index (ESI) in the ED ( r = -0.35; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Mechanical ventilation and intermittent urinary catheterization in the ED are associated with greater odds of PD within 24 hours of PICU admission. CAPD at admission positively correlates with PICU LOS, PIM 3 scores, and negatively correlates with ESI in the ED.