Clinical profile of delirium in patients treated for femoral neck fractures

The incidence of delirium, its predisposing factors, clinical profile, asso ciated symptoms and consequences were investigated in 54 consecutive patien ts, 19 men and 35 women, mean age 77.1 years, admitted to an 'orthogeriatri c unit' with femoral neck fractures. The incidence of postoperative deliriu m was 15/54 (27.8%) and a logistic regression model found that dementia and a prolonged waiting time for the operation increased the risk of postopera tive delirium. Delirium during the night was most common but in 5 patients the delirium was worst in the morning. Patients with delirium suffered more anxiety, depressed mood, emotionalism, delusions and hallucinations. A lar ger proportion of patients with delirium could not return to their previous dwelling, and a larger proportion of delirious patients were either dead, wheelchair-bound or bedridden at the 6-month follow-up (p < 0.005). The con clusion is that delirium is common and has a serious impact on the outcome after hip fracture surgery.