Delirium-Related Distress of Hospitalised Older Adults Within the Framework of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms: A Scoping Review of Qualitative Literature.

This was a scoping review, not a quality-appraised synthesis of intervention trials, so it cannot show that any practice reduces distress. Only 14 studies were included, and most focused on patient perspectives; care partner and nurse perspectives were limited. The included studies used different words for delirium and distress, different definitions of older adult, and different ways of confirming delirium. Data were collected at varied times after delirium, from days to one year, so accounts may differ because of recall and recovery. People with dementia were excluded or not clearly included in many studies, so delirium superimposed on dementia is not well represented. Only English-language full-text acute hospital studies were included, and hospice or palliative care settings were excluded.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest and state that they have nothing to report for funding.

Do not read family presence, hand holding or calm communication as proven treatments for delirium-related distress. This review maps qualitative accounts and did not test interventions or appraise study quality.