Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41731381›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2026

Presenting complaints and emergency triage priority of older adults hospitalized with delirium: a retrospective cohort study.

Justine Falciola, François Herrmann, Gaelle Levrelle, Fanny Benard, Fabienne Maitre, Véronique Trombert, Dina Zekry, Stephane Grimaud, Maud Amate, Aimad Ourahmoune and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

12 authors.

Justine FalciolaDivision of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
François HerrmannDivision of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Gaelle LevrelleDivision of Internal Medicine for the Aged, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Fanny BenardDivision of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Fabienne MaitreDivision of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Véronique TrombertDivision of Internal Medicine for the Aged, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Dina ZekryDivision of Internal Medicine for the Aged, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Stephane GrimaudService of Decision Support, Finance Department University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Maud AmateService of Decision Support, Finance Department University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Aimad OurahmouneService of Decision Support, Finance Department University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Christophe GrafDivision of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Aline MendesDivision of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. aline.mendes@hug.ch.ORCID 0000-0003-0098-6503

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo determine triage allocation in older adults hospitalized with delirium and identify factors associated with lower triage priority.

methodsRetrospective cohort study including patients aged ≥ 65 years admitted with delirium to geriatric acute care units. Triage was performed using the Swiss Emergency Triage Scale (SETS, levels 1–4). Patients assigned to levels 3–4 (low priority) were compared with those at levels 1–2 (high priority). Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of lower priority triage.

resultsAmong 2889 patients with delirium (mean age 85 years; 54.7% female), 59.8% were triaged at SETS 1–2 (high priority) and 40.2% at SETS 3–4 (low priority). Lower-priority triage was driven by nonspecific presentations such as general decline (18.9%) and falls (11.6%), while dyspnea (28.1%) and acute neurological deficits (11%) were strongly associated with higher priority. Independent predictors of SETS 3–4 included higher functional independence (FIM, OR 1.01 per point, p < 0.001), dementia (OR 1.39, p = 0.001), psychiatric comorbidity (OR 1.31, p = 0.007), and higher pain scores (VAS, OR 1.04 per point, p = 0.027). Conversely, acute respiratory failure (OR 0.25, p < 0.001), acute heart failure (OR 0.66, p < 0.001), pulmonary embolism (OR 0.51, p = 0.017), pneumonia (OR 0.82, p = 0.038), other hypoxia-related conditions (OR 0.63, p = 0.007), higher leukocyte count (OR 0.98, p = 0.026), and psychotropic exposure (OR 0.83, p = 0.030) were associated with decreased odds of lower-priority assignment.

conclusionStandard emergency triage may underrecognize the clinical risk of delirium in older adults, particularly when presentations are nonspecific and cognitive or psychiatric comorbidities are present.

Indexed as

DeliriumHospitalizationTriageAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesSwitzerlandDeliriumDementiaEmergency triageOlder peoplePsychiatric disorders

Identifiers

PMID41731381
PMCPMC13037073

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Registered trials

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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.