THE ASSOCIATION OF SERUM ANTICHOLINERGIC ACTIVITY WITH DELIRIUM IN ELDERLY MEDICAL PATIENTS

To investigate the hypothesis that elevated serum anticholinergic acti vity is independently associated with delirium in ill elderly persons, the authors performed a cross-sectional study of 67 acutely ill older medical inpatients. The presence of delirium was evaluated with the C onfusion Assessment Method, and the presence of many delirium symptoms was measured by the Delirium Symptom Interview. Demographic data and clinical characteristics that may be important for the development of delirium were also collected. Logistic regression techniques demonstra ted that elevated serum anticholinergic activity was independently ass ociated with delirium. Among the subjects with delirium, a greater num ber of delirium symptoms was associated with higher serum anticholiner gic activity.