Delirium symptoms duration and mortality in SARS-COV2 elderly: results of a multicenter retrospective cohort study

Background: Since the occurrence of the SARS-COV2 pandemic, there has been an increasing interest in investigating the epidemiology of delirium. Delirium is frequent in SARS-COV2 patients and it is associated with increased mortality; however, no information is available on the association between delirium duration in SARS-COV2 patients and related outcomes. Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the duration of delirium symptoms and in-hospital mortality in older patients with SARS-COV2 infection. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients 65 years of age and older with SARS-CoV 2 infection admitted to two acute geriatric wards and one rehabilitation ward. Delirium symptoms duration was assessed retrospectively with a chart-based validated method. In-hospital mortality was ascertained via medical records. Results: A total of 241 patients were included. The prevalence of delirium on admission was 16%. The median number of days with delirium symptoms ...