[Tools available in Spanish for clinical assessment of delirium. Systematic review]

Delirium assessment is difficult because it involves the alteration of different mental functions in patients of any age who have serious medical-surgical conditions or dementia. Therefore, concrete assessment tools for specific needs are required. This systematic review synthetizes the information about the tools available in Spanish for delirium clinical assessment.

This is a systematic review that follows the PRISMA Diagnostic Test Accuracy guideline. Using a search algorithm, two researchers assessed five scientific indexing systems and searched for additional papers and grey literature. Other two researchers recorded in a standardized way the data of the papers included. The quality of translations, cultural adaptations, and validations were assessed.

We identified 21 reports on translation, cultural adaptation, or validation of 14 tools for 1) detailed evaluation, diagnosis, and quantification of severity by experts, 2) assessment of concrete aspects of delirium, 3) screening in adults, 4) pediatric screening, and 5) diagnosis and weighting of severity by treating staff. 78.6% of translations and all adaptations are of good quality. 52.9% of validations have a low risk of bias, 41.2% have a moderate risk, and only 5.9% have a high risk.

As the first step to correctly treat patients is an accurate diagnosis, and the selection of the appropriate instruments is essential for the validity of any study, the available tools should be chosen according to the specific clinical and research needs.