The ethical implications of preventing hospital delirium in older adults: A scoping review

Abstract

Introduction

Hospital delirium is a frequent, serious, costly, and underrecognized acute disorder of attention and cognition. Therefore, the prevention of hospital delirium is not only desirable for patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and the health system itself, but also a moral duty.

Objective

To identify and synthetize the main ethical aspects that arise related to the prevention of hospital delirium in patients 65 years and older.

Methods

A scoping review was carried out in Embase, Medline, and Web of Science (January 2009–January 2022). Articles published in English or Spanish analyzing any pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic, or multicomponent intervention for prevention of delirium in hospitalized patients aged 65 years and over were included.

Results

Twenty-seven studies were included. Based on the frequency of appearance and the relevance, our findings were organized into three main areas. The first one was related to the principle of nonmaleficence and collected findings about the iatrogenic causes of hospital delirium and the use of restraints systems. The second area analyzed the impact of delirium in patients, families, and healthcare professionals from a relational ethics perspective, and addressed the family presence as a factor to prevent delirium. Finally, the third area is related to the quality of care.

Conclusion

Prevention of delirium in hospitals is essential to avoid the discomfort and potential clinical complications of patients, as well as the suffering of their relatives, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Policymakers and healthcare managers are encouraged to make the required efforts to prevent delirium in hospitalized older patients.