EMS delirium checklist: Emergency medical services rapid delirium checklist
2013A four-feature prehospital checklist for delirium signs observed by emergency medical services staff. The evaluation used a trained investigator's CAM-ICU assessment as the comparator rather than an independent expert DSM diagnosis.
Classification
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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.
Original paper
- Original paperFrisch A, Miller T, Haag A, Martin-Gill C, Guyette FX, Suffoletto BP. Diagnostic accuracy of a rapid checklist to identify delirium in older patients transported by EMS. Prehospital emergency care. 2013;17(2):230-4. doi: 10.3109/10903127.2012.744785. PMID: 23281619.
This paper reports the original validation of EMS delirium checklist. It reported sensitivity of 63% and specificity of 74% against CAM-ICU administered by a trained investigator.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Episodic assessment
- Population
- Adult
- Setting
- Prehospital / emergency medical services, Emergency department
- Time
- rapid EMS observation; exact completion time not reported in the abstract
- Items
- 4
- Score or threshold
- Positive if any of four features is present
Format: A four-feature prehospital checklist covering acute change or fluctuation, inattention, disorganised thinking and altered level of consciousness assessed with RASS. The study treated any reported feature as positive.
- Limitations: Moderate sensitivity and specificity; EMS observations were compared with CAM-ICU rather than an independent expert DSM assessment
Evidence
Reported sensitivity and specificity
Original/source study · 2013 — pmid:23281619
- Denominator
- Reported source unit: 259 (analysis unit not fully reconciled)
- Reference standard
- CAM-ICU administered by a trained investigator
Compared with trained-investigator CAM-ICU; GCS below 15 had sensitivity 67% and specificity 85% in the same cohort.
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Emergency medical services rapid delirium checklist
- Also known as
- rapid delirium checklist, EMS delirium checklist
- Evidence summary
- single-comparative-study
- Diagnostic-accuracy studies
- 1
- Reference standard
- CAM-ICU administered by a trained investigator
- Citation
- Frisch A, Miller T, Haag A, Martin-Gill C, Guyette FX, Suffoletto BP Diagnostic accuracy of a rapid checklist to identify delirium in older patients transported by EMS Prehospital emergency care. 2013;17(2):230-4. PMID 23281619
Copyright and reuse
- 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.