NuDESC: Nursing Delirium Screening Scale
2005Observational five-item scale designed for fast, repeated screening by bedside nurses across a shift.
Classification
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Tool and original sources
View the NuDESC in Figure 1 of the original article. The figure is not reproduced here.
Original and selected diagnostic-accuracy papers
- Original paperGaudreau JD, Gagnon P, Harel F, Tremblay A, Roy MA. Fast, systematic, and continuous delirium assessment in hospitalized patients: the nursing delirium screening scale. Journal of pain and symptom management. 2005;29(4):368-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2004.07.009. PMID: 15857740.
This is the original published source for NuDESC. It reported sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 86.8% against CAM assessment by trained research nurse or psychiatrist; reference assessor blinded to Nu-DESC.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyLuetz A, Heymann A, Radtke FM, Chenitir C, Neuhaus U, Nachtigall I, et al. Different assessment tools for intensive care unit delirium: which score to use?. Critical care medicine. 2010;38(2):409-18. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181cabb42. PMID: 20029345.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated NuDESC in university-hospital ICU against an independent DSM-IV clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 81% in 156 surgical ICU patients aged 60 years or older.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyRadtke FM, Franck M, Schneider M, Luetz A, Seeling M, Heinz A, et al. Comparison of three scores to screen for delirium in the recovery room. British journal of anaesthesia. 2008;101(3):338-43. doi: 10.1093/bja/aen193. PMID: 18603528.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated NuDESC in post-anaesthesia recovery room against a DSM-IV clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 87% in 154 adult postoperative patients.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Episodic assessment
- Population
- Adult
- Setting
- General / acute hospital, Palliative care
- Time
- ~1 min
- Items
- 5
- Score or threshold
- ≥2 of 10
Format: Usually laid out as a compact five-row nursing observation scale. Each row records the severity of a behaviour observed during the shift, followed by a summed score and threshold. It is designed for repeated use rather than a full cognitive assessment at every administration.
- Strengths: Very fast; repeated observational screening across a shift
- Limitations: Developed largely in oncology inpatients
Evidence
Reported sensitivity and specificity
Original/source study · 2005 — pmid:15857740
- Denominator
- Reported source unit: 59 (analysis unit not fully reconciled)
- Reference standard
- CAM assessment by trained research nurse or psychiatrist; reference assessor blinded to Nu-DESC
Original validation, n=146 (59 blinded CAM ratings).
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Nursing Delirium Screening Scale
- Also known as
- Nu-DESC
- Related profiles
- Korean Nu-DESC, Modified Nu-DESC
- Evidence summary
- multi
- Diagnostic-accuracy studies
- 24
- Reference standard
- CAM / DSM-IV
- Real-world use
- Inpatient positive-score rates 5–13%, often below expected delirium prevalence. (Penfold 2024)
- Citation
- Gaudreau JD, Gagnon P, Harel F, Tremblay A, Roy MA Fast, systematic, and continuous delirium assessment in hospitalized patients: the nursing delirium screening scale Journal of pain and symptom management. 2005;29(4):368-75. PMID 15857740
Copyright and reuse
- Version
- Original Nu-DESC shown as Figure 1 in the 2005 paper
- 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.