CAM-ICU Plus

What this tool is and how to interpret its evidence

CAM-ICU Plus is the name used for an exploratory classification in a 2026 study of adults admitted with acute ischaemic stroke. The investigators supplemented the standard CAM-ICU result with information about psychomotor change, seeking to improve detection in a neurological population where reduced consciousness and motor abnormalities complicate interpretation. It is a study-defined algorithm variant, not a newly developed questionnaire with its own independent item set.

In the single cross-sectional cohort, the variant showed sensitivity of about 79% and specificity of about 92% against a blinded DSM-5 assessment. Those estimates are promising but come from one centre, one clinical population and the same report that introduced the algorithm. They do not establish general ICU, medical-ward or multicentre validity. Stroke-related deficits may also affect both test feasibility and the clinical reference assessment.

The record should remain available as an emerging CAM-ICU-family variant, but it should not contribute to an independent tool count or carry a generic ICU category. The public description should name the acute-stroke setting, single-study evidence and need for external validation. Because it derives from protected CAM-family operational material, the page should not reproduce the decision rule or assessment prompts. Readers should consult the primary paper and authorised CAM-ICU resources before considering research use; routine clinical adoption would be premature without replication.