P776 - DELIRIUM INCIDENCE IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODIES PRIOR TO AND AFTER DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS (ID 486)
Abstract
Aims
Delirium is reported to be more common in patients with Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) both prior to and after diagnosis. The aim was to analyze delirium frequencies in a dementia cohort in Norway, comparing subgroups of subjects with DLB and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Methods
The Dementia Study of Western Norway included 247 persons with mild dementia (MMSE ≥ 20), (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) =1), who were followed annually until death. Delirium was retrospectively diagnosed through chart review assessing all available information in 341 acute or planned hospital admissions to both psychiatric and somatic wards from 5 years before dementia diagnosis until death. 23 DLB and 55 AD or mixed AD and vascular dementia patients were included in the present analysis. Pearson Chi-Square test was used to compare the groups.
Results
Delirium was recorded in 101 (29,6 %) hospital admissions. There was no significant difference between delirium frequencies in the DLB and AD groups. Moreover, there was no significant difference between delirium frequencies before or after dementia diagnosis in the DLB and AD groups.
Conclusions
It is challenging to diagnose delirium through chart review due to recurring poor documentation in the hospital chart. Many delirium episodes occurred in moderate and advanced stages of dementia. Thus, the diagnoses will, in many cases, be uncertain and delirium frequency is probably underdiagnosed in this analysis. More studies are necessary to ascertain whether delirium is more common in DLB patients, or if DLB symptoms are misinterpreted as delirium.
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