November 20, 2020

Delirium in Older Patients With COVID-19 Presenting to the Emergency Department

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): clinical characteristics

• Delirium is a common symptom in older adults diagnosed with COVID-19 in the emergency department (ED). In this cohort study of 817 older ED patients with COVID-19, 28% had delirium at presentation, and delirium was the sixth most common of all presenting symptoms and signs. Among delirious patients, 16% presented with delirium as a primary symptom and 37% had no typical COVID-19 symptoms or signs, such as cough or fever. These findings suggest that older adults with COVID-19 commonly present to the ED with delirium and that delirium should be considered an important presenting symptom of COVID-19.

Kennedy et al. (Nov 19, 2020). Delirium in Older Patients With COVID-19 Presenting to the Emergency Department. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.29540