Acute confusion among hospitalized elders in a rural hospital.

The NEECHAM Confusion Scale was used to study the incidence and severity of acute confusion among elders in a rural community hospital. Thirty-eight patients over the age of 64 were assessed for confusion within 48 hours of admission. The NEECHAM Confusion Scale was readministered to a sub-sample of 17 elders within 24 hours of pending discharge. The incidence of acute confusion was 81.5% at admission with a prevalence of 52.9% at discharge. Staff identified signs of acute confusion in 34.2% of the elders confused upon admission as indicated by the NEECHAM Confusion Scale. These findings have major implications for adult health nursing practice.