Study of confusion syndrome in patients admitted to a trauma unit: Why do elderly patients get disorientated?

Acute confusion is a frequent health care problem amongst hospitalised elderly patients. The study investigated the incidence of acute confusion during the hospitalisation of elderly patients, identified associated physical and/or psycho-social factors and outlined measures to help minimise risk factors. Two sets of data were collected using the Mini-Mental State test (MMST) and a questionnaire. The MMST was given on hospital admission and repeated when patients showed the first signs of disorientation and in a non-confused control group. Of 200 patients included in the study, 43 suffered acute confusion during hospitalisation (mean age 82.7). The mean age of the non-confused group was 76 ( p