Ramelteon for Prevention of Delirium in Hospitalized Older Patients

Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition and is very common in hospitalized patients. Nearly 30% of older patients experience delirium at some time during hospitalization, and 40% of older patients admitted to intensive care units will have delirium. Risk factors for delirium include dementia, stroke, Parkinson disease, and sensory impairment. Here, Perkisas and Vandewoucle examine results from a randomized trial assessing the effect of ramelteon, a melatonin agonist, for preventing delirium in patients admitted to the intensive care unit and to a regular acute medical ward.