Background In critically ill patients, the most common manifestation of brain dysfunction is delirium, which is independently associated with higher morbidity and mortality. While electrolyte imbalance is one of the precipitating factors, the impact of hypomagnesemia on the incidence of delirium remains unknown.
Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary referral center between January and June 2020. Patients with ICU stay ≥48 hours and aged 40–85 years were included. The primary outcome was cumulative incidence of delirium in the ICU. Patients were divided into two groups based on serum magnesium level at ICU admission. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed, and covariates were selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method.
Results A total of 109 patients included 43 (39.4%) women and had a median age of 69.0 years (interquartile range [IQR], 60.0–76.0 years). The median magnesium level was 1.7 mg/dl (IQR, 1.5–1.9 mg/dl), and the cumulative incidence of delirium was 32.1% (35 patients). Hypomagnesemia was independently associated with delirium (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–4.38), along with prior use of immunosuppressants (aHR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.46–6.48) or benzodiazepines (aHR, 4.02; 95% CI, 1.54–10.50), body mass index (aHR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.84–1.02), and alcohol history (aHR, 1.68; 95% CI, 0.74–3.80).
Conclusions In critically ill adults, hypomagnesemia increases the risk of delirium by more than two-fold compared to patients with normal magnesium level.
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Hypomagnesemia and incident delirium in hospitalized older persons Virginia Boccardi, Sara Ercolani, Rocco Serra, Valentina Bubba, Alessandro Piccolo, Michela Scamosci, Alfredo Villa, Carmelinda Ruggiero, Patrizia Mecocci Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Background Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have increased risks of delirium, which is associated with worse outcomes. As pharmacologic treatments for delirium are ineffective, prevention is important. Nonpharmacologic preventive strategies include exposure to natural light and restoring circadian rhythm. We investigated the effect of exposure to natural light through windows on delirium in the ICU.
Methods This retrospective cohort study assessed all patients admitted to the medical ICU of a university-affiliated hospital between January and June 2020 for eligibility. The ICU included 12 isolation rooms, six with and six without windows. Patients with ICU stays of >48 hours were included and were divided into groups based on their admission to a single room with (window group) or without windows (windowless group). The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of delirium. The secondary outcomes were the numbers of delirium- and mechanical ventilation-free days, ICU and hospital length of stay, and in-ICU and 28-day mortalities.
Results Of the 150 included patients (window group: 83 [55.3%]; windowless group: 67 [44.7%]), the cumulative incidence of delirium was significantly lower in the window group than in the windowless group (21.7% vs. 43.3%; relative risk, 1.996; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.220–3.265). Other secondary outcomes did not differ between groups. Admission to a room with a window was independently associated with a decreased risk of delirium (adjusted odds ratio, 0.318; 95% CI, 0.125–0.805).
Conclusions Exposure to natural light through windows was associated with a lower incidence of delirium in the ICU.
Citations
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Four Decades of Intensive Care Unit Design Evolution and Thoughts for the Future Neil A. Halpern, Elizabeth Scruth, Michelle Rausen, Diana Anderson Critical Care Clinics.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
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