ABSTRACT

Delirium is a state not to be neglected which can cause severe consequences that is related to critical illness in intensive care unit with acute cerebral dysfunction. Magnesium (Mg) plays an important role in many physiological events affecting the brain. In this study, we retrospectively investigated the incidence of delirium development and its relationship with the serum Mg levels.

Patients who admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) were divided in to two groups according to their serum Mg levels (<0.7 hypomagnesaemia, >0.7 normomagnesemia). Delirium was assessed using Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale and Confusion Assessment Method for ICU. We identified the duration of mechanical ventilation, applied sedation, age, gender, sepsis, shock, malignancy, ICU requirement after operation, admission SOFA score, admission APACHE II score, admission of Mg and mean Mg levels as secondary outcome measures whether they affected delirium incidence.

A total of 178 patients were assessed, 72 of them were found delirium positive. The incidence of delirium was found 45% in patients with hypomagnesaemia; this was found 25% in patients with normomagnesaemia. Duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU stay, and mortality rate were found higher in patients with delirium than those in individuals without delirium.

We retrospectively investigated delirium incidence in critically ill patients and the percentage was found remarkably high. Our findings were parallel with the other studies that, delirium has a negative impact on morbidity and mortality rates.

Keywords: Delirium, magnesium sulphate, critical illness