Non-pharmacological Interventions to Prevent and Treat Delirium in Older People: An Overview of Systematic Reviews
International Journal of Nursing Studies
Zhao, Q., Liu, S., et al. (2023).
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 148, 104584.
<div>This umbrella review of systematic reviews investigates the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in preventing delirium in geriatric patients, aged 60 and over. This article summary only reports findings relevant to the scope of speech-language pathology. </div>
National Natural Science Foundation of China; Scientific Research Program of Hunan Provincial Health Commission (China); Innovative Construction Project of Hunan Province (China)
<div>This umbrella systematic review contains many reviews, only some of which are related to SLP practice. Articles available elsewhere in the Evidence Maps are listed in the Associated Article(s) section below. Please contact ASHA’s National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders (N-CEP) for the full list of articles.</div>
From database inception to December 2, 2022
<div>Systematic reviews, meta-analyses</div>
24
<div>Non-pharmacological, multicomponent interventions reduced delirium incidence in older adults by an average of 27%-54%. Additional findings included:</div>
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<ul>
<li>reduced falls by an average of 44%-62%;</li>
<li>reduced incidence of pressure ulcers (3 out of 3 reviews);</li>
<li>inconsistent impacts on delirium duration (5 out of 13 reviews reported beneficial effects); and</li>
<li>inconsistent impacts on delirium severity (3 out of 7 reviews reported beneficial effects).</li>
</ul>
<div>Multicomponent interventions showed statistically insignificant trends toward shortening length of stay and improving cognitive function. There was no overall effect on institutionalization, mortality, and functional status. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Limitations to this umbrella review included low quality of evidence and heterogeneity between included reviews. </div>
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