The Viner Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Roberts Pavilion is sponsoring a drop-in educational event on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, for staff members, clinical staff, and faculty. “March Mobility Madness” will provide an afternoon of fun and education to help participants understand and combat delirium in patients.
Delirium was formerly known as “ICU psychosis.” It was once believed that the condition was caused by waking patients frequently day and night, and that it would resolve itself once the patient resumed a normal schedule. Evidence now shows that long-term sedative use and prolonged delirium is associated with dementia-like symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder for patients who survive their ICU stay. Delirium is also associated with increased ICU and hospital length-of-stay, increased cost, and increased mortality for ICU patients.
Eugene Wesley Ely, MD, who established Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship (CIBS) Center, is one of the pioneers in this field. He created an assessment tool and other strategies for helping patients who are at risk for developing delirium. Read more about him at www.ICUDelirium.org.
The March Mobility Madness event will include educational materials developed by Dr. Ely, as well as a series of informational stations. All Cooper clinical staff, especially those who work on critical care units, are encouraged to attend. Registration is not required, and staff can stop in as their schedule permits. Allow 15 to 30 minutes to take part in the event.