Spanish version of the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98: reliability and validity

The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Spanish translation of the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98).

Thirty patients diagnosed of delirium (DSM-IV) by a variety of general hospital medical wards criteria were assessed using the DRS-R-98, MiniMental State Examination (MMSE), Mini Examen Cognoscitivo (MEC; Spanish version of the MMSE) and the Orientation Scale (OS). Independent ratings between two psychiatrists were used to calculate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for interrater reliability.

The DRS-R-98 had high interrater reliability for both total and severity scale scores (ICC=.96 for each). The DRS-R-98 severity score significantly correlated (P<.001) with MMSE (r=-.67), MEC (r=-.62) and OS (r=.73). Cronbach's alpha (r=.78 ) indicated high internal consistency of the DRS-R-98.

The Spanish translation of the DRS-R-98 has high interrater reliability for both total and severity scale scores, high internal consistency, and very good concurrent validity in relation to other cognitive measures and therefore can be administered to delirious patients.