Guidance

Update information

Update information

January 2023: We have reviewed the evidence and made new recommendations on assessing and diagnosing delirium. These recommendations are marked [2023].

We have also made some changes without an evidence review:

  • formatting changes to improve accessibility

  • 'changes or fluctuations in usual behaviour' has been changed to 'changes or fluctuations indicating delirium' to reflect that some indicators may not be related to behaviour

  • to reflect the new recommendation on the use of an assessment tool.

These recommendations are marked [2010, amended 2023].

Recommendations marked [2010] last had an evidence review in 2010. In some cases minor changes have been made to the wording to bring the language and style up to date, without changing the meaning.

March 2019: Olanzapine has been removed from recommendation 1.7.4 because the clinical need can now be met by a licensed product. Additional information for this recommendation stated that haloperidol and olanzapine do not have UK marketing authorisation for delirium treatment. However, haloperidol does now have marketing authorisation, therefore, the additional information was removed because it no longer applies to haloperidol.

Minor changes since publication

October 2022: We added text to indicate that pulse oximetry may be less reliable in people with dark skin. We also added a link to the NHS patient safety alert on the risk of harm from inappropriate placement of pulse oximeter probes. See recommendation 1.4.6.

April 2022: We amended recommendation 1.7.4 to highlight the possible risks associated with using haloperidol for the acute treatment of delirium in older people.

ISBN: 978-1-4731-4953-3