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CSE: Confusional State Evaluation

1997

A 22-item observer-rated scale for grading the severity of delirium (confusional state) in older people and tracking its course over time.

Classification

Classification

Measurement of delirium severity

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Tool and original sources

This record describes a method rather than a downloadable bedside form. The main source is linked below.

NIDUS information cards ↗

Original paper

  • Original paperRobertsson B, Karlsson I, Styrud E, Gottfries CG. Confusional State Evaluation (CSE): an instrument for measuring severity of delirium in the elderly. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science. 1997;170:565-70. doi: 10.1192/bjp.170.6.565. PMID: 9330025.

    This is the original published source for CSE. It is the main source for the method, its intended use and the evidence available at publication.

    Open PubMed ↗
No eligible DTA study identifiedCore instrument family

At a glance

Purpose
Measurement of delirium severity
Population
Adult
Setting
General / acute hospital
Time
about 30 min (secondary NIDUS card; primary abstract does not report timing)
Items
22

Format: An observer-rated 22-item severity scale. Twelve items are summed to form the published confusion score; the remaining items add clinical description. Approximate timing comes from the linked NIDUS secondary card rather than the primary abstract.

  • Strengths: Tracks severity and course; confusion score correlated with psychogeriatrician global rating
  • Limitations: Single development/validation sample of older patients; not a case-finding test

Evidence

Evidence maturityNo eligible DTA study identified

Reported metric context

Severity scale; confusion score correlated r=0.79 with expert global rating (n=71).

More evidence and citation details
Full name
Confusional State Evaluation
Also known as
CSE
Evidence summary
psychometric-validation
Reliability
Weighted inter-rater kappa 0.38-0.93 across items
Citation
Robertsson B, Karlsson I, Styrud E, Gottfries CG Confusional State Evaluation (CSE): an instrument for measuring severity of delirium in the elderly The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science. 1997;170:565-70. PMID 9330025
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Copyright and reuse
Information checked
2026-07-19

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Sources checked 2026-07-29. How profiles are prepared.