Hospital to Study Patient Dementia through $100K Grant

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-The University Hospital has been awarded a $100,000 grant that will be used by two doctors to study hospital-acquired delirium.

Delirium occurs in up to 56 percent of hospitalized patients and nearly 80 percent of patients admitted to intensive care units, according to a statement released by UMDNJ-The University Hospital. Drs. Peter Yonclas and Anne Mosenthal hope to reduce the amount of hospital-induced delirium, which affects patients age 50 and older admitted in the ICU and trauma units, by 20 percent.

The Newark hospital is one of four medical centers in the state to study various aspects of the illness.

“It’s more common than most people realize and affects about three out of every four patients in the ICU," said Yonclas, assistant professor of surgery and physical medicine and rehabilitation at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and director of trauma rehabilitation at the hospital, in a statement.

The grant was awarded by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

Delirium can best be described as an extreme state of confusion and patients who experience it are unable to think clearly, have difficulty paying attention, struggle with understanding their surroundings and imagine hearing or seeing objects. Patients may also seem agitated, act aggressively and make strange movements, like picking at their clothes.

There is no known cause of hospital-acquired delirium but experts said it results from a change in the way the brain works.

"Much of the research on hospital-acquired delirium suggests that it can result from insufficient oxygen getting to the brain, electrolyte imbalances (or chemical imbalances and changes to the brain), infections and pain," said Yonclas, who added the condition is physiological, not psychological.

The study not only will improve a patient's stay but it will also decrease lingering aftereffects of delirium and serve as a cost containment measure. The money will also be used to examine how medication, sleep patterns, sound and time of day may make patients more prone to suffering from delirium.

Components like pain medication, adjustment and evaluation, light therapy (to help patients remain aware of the time of day) and massage and music therapy will also be focused on during the study.

The grant will fund a patient educator/research assistant who will help patients and their families better understand delirium.

– Staff reports