Aim
The primary aim of this study is to review the use of 4 AT scoring systems in elderly patients presenting to the emergency medicine department of Gold Coast University Hospital. The secondary aim of this study is to test whether 4AT scores significantly vary with age and gender.
Methods
Electronic hospital medical records of patients presented to the Emergency Department from September 2023 to December 2023 were reviewed and included in the study. Pearson's chi-squared test was applied to test the association between the proportion of patients who underwent the 4AT test with age and sex. ANOVA test was conducted to test the significance of the 4AT score by age and sex.
Results
In our study, we identified 149 older patients (age >65 years) diagnosed with delirium during their inpatient stay. The compliance rate for 4AT screening in the emergency department was 79.5%, with the majority of patients receiving a delirium screen using the 4AT scoring system. Among those with 4AT scores (n = 72), 60.0% presented significant scores of 4 or higher. The proportion of patients undergoing the 4AT test increased with age. There was no statistically significant difference in administering the 4AT test by sex (p-value= 0.127). Additionally, there was no significant variation in the average 4AT score based on age or sex.
Conclusion The compliance rate for delirium screening among elderly patients who presented to The Gold Coast University Hospital was 86.5%. The proportion of patients who underwent the 4AT screening test increased with age.