6-month follow-up of patients receiving delirium diagnosis in Atataturk University Medical Faculty Hospital

6-Month Follow-up of Patients Receiving Delirium Diagnosis in Atataturk University Medical Faculty Hospital The aim of our study was to monitor long term anxiety, depression symptoms, cognitive functions, functioning and mortality of the patients who were diagnosed with delirium and to monitor them for hospital admission, new disease diagnosis and delirium development in this period and compare the results with the control group consisting of inpatients without psychiatric diagnosis. The research was carried out between October 2015 and March 2016 after approval of the ethics committee at Ataturk University Medical Faculty Hospital and the participants were recalled 3 and 6 months later. The study group consisted of 50 patients who were hospitalized at Ataturk University Medical Faculty Hospital and consulted to psychiatry department and diagnosed with delirium, and a control group of 50 patients who were in the same inpatient clinic as patients with delirium. As data collection tools; Individual Properties Form, Delirium Rating Scale (DRS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD Scale), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Global Assessment Scale (GAS) were used. The normal distribution of continuous variables was evaluated by the Shapiro Wilk test. The Independent Sample t test was used when the normal distribution condition was provided in the comparison between the two groups, and the Mann Whitney U test was used when the difference was not provided. The repeated Measures ANOVA test was used when the normal distribution condition was met in the comparison of the over-dependent group variables, and the Friedman test was used if not. The comparison between the categorical variables was done by Chi-square test and Fisher's Exact test. ANCOVA was used in multiple comparisons. The survival effects of the groups were assessed using Survival analysis. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of anxiety and depression. In addition, there were no differences in the anxiety and depression symptoms in the follow-up of the groups themselves. The MMSE score at the 0th month of the delirium was significantly lower than the control group. Although the score of the delirium group was lower at 3rd and 6th months, the difference was not significant. In the control group, an increase in the MMSE score was observed in the follow-up, but the increase in the control group was not significant. The delirium group's Global Assessment Scale score was significantly lower at 0th month than the control group. Although the scores of the delirium group were lower at 3rd and 6th months, the difference between the two groups was not significant. During the 3rd and 6th months follow-up, increase in the scale scores was observed in both groups, but the rise was not significant. In the follow-up of the 3rd month of the groups, one person in the control group had delirium; during the 6th month follow-up, it was determined that one person in the delirium group had delirium. In the follow-up, it was found that the most commonly new diagnosed disorder in the delirium and control group was depression. The death time of the delirium group was significantly shorter than the death time of the control group. At the 3rd and 6th months, the mortality of the delirium group was higher than the control group. The mean survival day of the delirium group at 3rd and 6th months was significantly shorter than the control group. Delirium is a disease resulting in high mortality and morbidity, it is recommended that health professionals should be educated about delirium, risk factors and outcomes, investigating delirium preventive protocols considering the risk factors causing delirium and considering researches including more patients. Key words: delirium, follow-up, consultation