Clinical guidelines and strategic plan for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of delirium: The zero delirium project.

The aim of this clinical practice guideline is to provide a rationale for the implementation of the Zero Delirium Project (ZDP) - a series of recommendations for patients in special critical care units (SCCU). The recommendations were developed by a group of anaesthesiologists from around Spain, and were reviewed by the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Society of Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Pain Therapy. Delirium is an acute, fluctuating, multifactorial syndrome characterised by inattention, disorganised thinking, and an altered level of consciousness. It may affect up to 56% in patients during their stay in critical care, and is important because many SCCUs have not yet introduced routine delirium screening, treatment and prevention strategies. Staff that are able to recognise and diagnose delirium can prevent it, treat it and reduce its incidence, which in turn reduces morbidity, mortality and costs. The ZDP was created with this aim in mind.