54 No One Told Me I Couldn’t Drive with Delirium

Delirium is a common cause and complication of hospital admissions. DVLA1, and Consensus guidelines2 exist for driving with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, but there are no specific guidelines pertaining to delirium. This audit set out to find the prevalence of delirium in a district general hospital prior to implementation of a standard screening tool. It was noteworthy that a significant number of patients with delirium were drivers. Methods The notes of 114 patients under the care of nine specialties, both medical and surgical were prospectively reviewed. Of those with risk factors for delirium, data was collected on the number of patients who had a diagnosis of delirium made during their admission. For patients at risk with no documented screening already completed a Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) screening test was performed by the lead author. In patients identified with delirium it was also established if they were current drivers via clerking documentation or by discussion with the patient/family. Drivers with delirium were highlighted in the medical notes and where possible discussions were had with the patient and their families regarding driving advice until the delirium had resolved. Results The prevalence of delirium in this group was 23% (n = 26/114). 20 patients had documented evidence of delirium and a further 6 patients were diagnosed as a result of this project. 15.4% (n = 4/26) of patients with delirium were current drivers. For this group there was no documented evidence that driving advice had been given to the patient or family. Conclusion This baseline audit has identified that delirium is not consistently screened for and identified. In patients with delirium, driving history is not being sought and consequently the opportunity for driving advice is being missed. Clear guidance from the DVLA on driving for patients with a resolving delirium is needed. References 1. DVLA, 2018. 2. RCPsych, 2019.