Validation and Translation of the 3D-CAM to Turkish in Surgical Intensive Care Patients

Delirium is a common condition that can significantly worsen a patient's clinical status. Timely and accurate detection of this often-overlooked condition is essential for effective prevention and treatment. This study aims to validate the Turkish version of the 3-Minute Diagnostic Interview for Confusion Assessment-defined Delirium (3D-CAM-TR), which has been culturally adapted for surgical intensive care patients.

This study was conducted in surgical intensive care units and wards at three academic hospitals, including 133 surgical intensive care patients. The 3D-CAM was culturally adapted and translated into Turkish. The 3D-CAM-TR was administered by trained clinicians from the first to the third postoperative day. During this period, delirium diagnosis was made by experienced psychiatrists using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria as the reference standard. All assessors were blinded to each other's assessment results. The 3D-CAM delirium diagnosis was compared with the reference standard in all patients.

A total of 133 adult patients were assessed over three consecutive days, findings in 399 paired assessments. Compared to the DSM- 5-based reference standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the 3D-CAM-TR assessment were found to be 95% and 97%, respectively, for rater 1, and 93% and 99%, respectively, for rater 2, with good inter-rater reliability (Kappa coefficient=0.898, confidence interval=0.84, 0.96).

Our resultings indicate that the 3D-CAM-TR is a dependable and precise instrument for assessing delirium in postoperative intensive care patients.