[Delirium (acute confusion) among elderly patients after admission to a medical department].

Delirium is a common mental disorder among the elderly. In this study we examined the prevalence of delirium among patients older than 75 years of age who had been admitted to an acute medical ward. 14 of 58 patients (24%) received a diagnosis of delirium. For these patients we recorded in all 58 factors possibly associated with its occurrence, four on average per patient. Drugs, cerebrovascular disease, and congestive heart failure were the most common factors. The large number of possibly contributing factors precludes a definite conclusion regarding precipitating factors. Mini-Mental State Examination, which is a commonly used screening-instrument for detecting cognitive impairment, was of minor value in detecting delirium.