Se. Levkoff et al., PROGRESSION AND RESOLUTION OF DELIRIUM IN ELDERLY PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED FOR ACUTE-CARE, The American journal of geriatric psychiatry, 2(3), 1994, pp. 230-238
The authors describe the clinical course of delirium in 325 elderly pa
tients hospitalized for acute care. Of those patients who developed DS
M-III delirium (n = 91), over two-thirds of patients (69.2%) experienc
ed a prodromal period of at least 1 day prior to meeting full DSM-III
criteria. Clinical evidence of delirium frequently persisted after hos
pital discharge although there was evidence of lessening of the extent
of symptoms over time. These findings have implications for discharge
planners concerned with providing appropriate supports for those stil
l experiencing delirium symptoms at the time of hospital discharge.