INTRODUCTION: Delirium is an acute and reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by alterations in consciousness, attention, and cognitive functions, which increases morbidity and mortality and leads to prolonged hospital stays and higher economic costs. Between 8 and 17% of patients aged 65 years or older who attend the Emergency Department (ED) may suffer from delirium. One of the axes of delirium research is based on early detection including validated scales.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze the incidence of patients aged 65 years or older attending the ED of the Hospital Universitario de la Ribera (HULR) who are diagnosed with delirium. It also aimed to analyze sociodemographic characteristics and variables related to triage, emergency department, and discharge destination.

METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted, including patients aged 65 years or older who attended the ED from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

RESULTS: During the year 2024, 132,370 patients attended the Emergency Department of HULR. A proportion of 27.87% (n=36,893) were patients aged 65 years or older with a mean age of 77.68 (SD 7.98). A proportion of 0.07% (n=27) of patients had delirium as the primary diagnosis and 0.05% (n=2) had it as the secondary diagnosis, with urinary tract infection being the primary diagnosis with the highest percentage of 5.53% (n=2040). A proportion of 54.98% (n=20285) were women. The diagram most frequently used in triage was “limb problems” at 16.75% (n=6180), followed by “adult with poor general condition” at 16.39% (n=6046). A proportion of 66.4% (n=24493) were triaged as least urgent (priority P4) and 60.18% (n=22204) of the patients were placed in the consultation area. A proportion of 32.5% (n=8991) were admitted with a mean length of stay of 6.12 days (SD 7.31).

CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of patients diagnosed with delirium in the Emergency Department of HULR is below those of previous studies. Screening with scales such as the 4AT, which is easy and quick to apply, may help identify delirium in the ED and reduce its impact.