Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39989219›Full record

ArticleNursing in critical care2025

National screening for delirium in paediatric intensive care units: A quality improvement initiative.

Bronagh Blackwood, Leanne M Aitken, Jennie Craske, Sandra Gala-Peralta, Ashley Liew, Maeve Murray, Lisa McIlmurray, Lyvonne N Tume

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nursing in critical care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Bronagh BlackwoodWellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4583-5381
Leanne M AitkenSchool of Health & Psychological Sciences, City, University of London, London, UK.
Jennie CraskeAlder Hey Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
Sandra Gala-PeraltaRoyal Brompton Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Ashley LiewDepartment of Children's Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Maeve MurrayWellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Lisa McIlmurrayWellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Lyvonne N TumeFaculty of Health, Social Care & Medicine, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInternationally, one in three children develop delirium during their intensive care stay. International guidelines strongly recommend twice-daily screening for paediatric delirium using validated instruments. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, delirium was assessed only when suspected and few intensive care units (ICUs) used validated instruments.

aimThis initiative aimed to implement a national screening strategy in 28 paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) across the United Kingdom and Ireland. STUDY

designThe strategy involved: (a) rapidly reviewing, evaluating and ranking paediatric screening instruments for sensitivity, specificity, appropriateness and acceptability for national implementation; (b) achieving national agreement to implement a common tool; (c) creating and disseminating training materials while supporting training personnel in implementation; and (d) integrating delirium monitoring within the Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network national database.

resultsAmong seven validated instruments, the top ranked options (from 1, most applicable to 7, least applicable) were the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (average rank 1.25) and the Sophia Observation withdrawal Symptoms-Paediatric Delirium scale (1.5). Twenty-three units voted for their preferred choice of instrument: fifteen preferred the Cornell instrument, eight favoured the Sophia instrument and five did not respond. Training and implementation began in November 2021 and by March 2023 18 of the 28 units (64%) had successfully implemented screening. The national database began actively collecting delirium data from units in January 2024.

conclusionsThis initiative outlined critical steps for implementing and maintaining practice of delirium screening in PICUs. We provided clinicians with validated screening tools for detecting paediatric delirium and the necessary support and infrastructure to maintain screening. Embedding and sustaining screening is an ongoing challenge. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Undertaking routine screening for all intensive care patients from admission to discharge using validated instruments will provide earlier detection and treatment for critically ill children. This strategy offers a model for standardized and effective implementation in clinical practice in ICUs.

Indexed as

DeliriumIntensive Care Units, PediatricMass ScreeningQuality ImprovementChildChild, PreschoolHumansIrelandUnited Kingdomchildcritical caredeliriumquality improvement

Identifiers

PMID39989219
PMCPMC11848506

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.