Delirium in the elderly in intensive care units: an integrative literature review

Objective: conducting a survey about delirium in the elderly in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Method: an integrative review of the literature held in databases MEDLINE and IBECS, in May 2012, whose inclusion criteria were: to be published between May 2007 to May 2012, available in full and in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Results: there were found 68 productions and selected 16, which were categorized into: 1) Incidence and prevalence of delirium in the elderly in ICU; 2) Factors predisposing and precipitating risk of delirium in the elderly in ICU and 3) Strategies for preventing modifiable risk factors of delirium in the elderly patients in the ICU. Conclusion: the scientific production about delirium is incipient in Brazil, health professionals, especially nurses, need to improving the recognition of this syndrome and implementing strategies for risk prevention factors for delirium.