CAM-S: Confusion Assessment Method – Severity
2014CAM-S is a CAM-derived method for rating delirium severity. It supports repeated description of symptom burden rather than serving as a standalone screening form.
Classification
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Tool and original sources
Copyright restrictions mean that a copy of CAM-S cannot be provided on this website. Use the official access page below.
Original paper
- Principal sourceInouye SK, Kosar CM, Tommet D, Schmitt EM, Puelle MR, Saczynski JS, et al. The CAM-S: development and validation of a new scoring system for delirium severity in 2 cohorts. Annals of internal medicine. 2014;160(8):526-533. doi: 10.7326/M13-1927. PMID: 24733193.
This paper reports the development and initial validation of CAM-S itself. It is the main source for the method, its intended use and the evidence available at publication.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Measurement of delirium severity
- Population
- Adult
- Setting
- General / acute hospital, Perioperative
- Time
- derived from an underlying CAM assessment; no separate completion time reported
- Items
- 10
- Score or threshold
- Short 0–7; long 0–19
Format: CAM-S converts CAM findings into delirium-severity scores using a 4-item short form or 10-item long form. The reported ranges are 0-7 and 0-19 respectively. Feature wording, weights, anchors and scoring steps are not reproduced here.
- Strengths: Validated in independent cohorts of 300 older surgical and 919 older medical patients; increasing scores were associated with length of stay and 90-day death or nursing-home residence
- Limitations: Requires the CAM to be scored first
Evidence
Reported metric context
Validated in independent cohorts of 300 older surgical patients and 919 older medical patients. Increasing CAM-S severity was associated with longer stay and higher 90-day risk of death or nursing-home residence.
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Confusion Assessment Method – Severity
- Also known as
- CAM-S, CAM Severity, Confusion Assessment Method Severity
- Related profiles
- CAM
- Evidence summary
- psychometric-validation
- Reference standard
- CAM (add-on)
- Citation
- Inouye SK, Kosar CM, Tommet D, Schmitt EM, Puelle MR, Saczynski JS, Marcantonio ER, Jones RN The CAM-S: development and validation of a new scoring system for delirium severity in 2 cohorts Annals of internal medicine. 2014;160(8):526-533. PMID 24733193
Copyright and reuse
- Version
- Use the current CAM-S supplied by the author-led resource page
- Rights holder
- Hospital Elder Life Program (copyright); Aging Brain Center (permissions administrator)
- Licence
- ALL-RIGHTS-RESERVED-PERMISSION-REQUIRED
- Information checked
- 2026-07-19
Instrument-specific terms apply. See the access and copyright policy or send a correction.
Sources checked 2026-07-29. How profiles are prepared.