Hospital Delirium is Associated with Lower Mean Activity Counts: Secondary Analysis of a Large Cohort Study of ICU Patients

Abstract

Hospital delirium is a dangerous condition characterized by confusion and altered consciousness. Hypoactive delirium, the most common type of delirium, results in decreased spontaneous movement and is easily missed by hospital staff. We evaluated the use of wrist accelerometers to detect an association with delirium in intensive care unit patients. We found that daily mean activity count was lower in patients with delirium, even controlling for age and mechanical ventilation status. This suggests that accelerometers could be a good biosensor to assist hospital staff with delirium detection and management.