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psCAM-ICU: Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU

2016

psCAM-ICU is a developmentally adapted CAM-family assessment for critically ill infants and preschool children.

At a glance

Purpose
Episodic assessment
Population
Paediatric
Setting
Intensive care
Time
~2 min
Items
4
Score or threshold
Developmentally adapted CAM-family classification; see the authorised materials.

Format: A four-feature, developmentally adapted CAM-family assessment for critically ill infants and preschool children, reported at about two minutes. Tasks, prompts, thresholds and decision logic are not reproduced here.

Primary validation papers

5 identified diagnostic-accuracy papers

Other forms of validation are described in the evidence section. What is counted?

Large-scale clinical implementation

None identified in the scoped review.

None identified in the selected profile sources and the Penfold general-hospital review. This is not a completed search of all settings or later papers.

Training and instructions

  • psCAM-ICU instructional tool. Public ICU Delirium resource directory. Open the resource with this tool’s name; versions are listed separately.
  • psCAM-ICU form. Public instrument material checked on 5 September 2026. Follow the source’s version and permission conditions.
Start here

Tool and original sources

A source for the tool or its access information is linked below. Check the version and current terms before use, copying or adaptation.

View the tool ↗ Official information and permissions ↗

Original and selected diagnostic-accuracy papers

  • Original paperSmith HA, Gangopadhyay M, Goben CM, Jacobowski NL, Chestnut MH, Savage S, et al. The Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU: Valid and Reliable Delirium Monitoring for Critically Ill Infants and Children. Critical care medicine. 2016;44(3):592-600. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000001428. PMID: 26565631.

    This is the original published source for psCAM-ICU. It reported sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 91% against an independent DSM-IV-TR clinical assessment.

    Open PubMed ↗
  • Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyPaterson RS, Kenardy JA, Dow BL, De Young AC, Pearson K, Aitken LM, et al. Accuracy of delirium assessments in critically ill children: A prospective, observational study during routine care. Australian critical care : official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses. 2021;34(3):226-234. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2020.07.012. PMID: 33909556.

    This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated psCAM-ICU in 36-bed mixed paediatric ICU at an Australian tertiary hospital against a DSM-5 clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 58.8% and specificity of 89.8% in Critically ill children developmentally aged 6 months to 17 years.

    Open PubMed ↗
  • Systematic review of diagnostic accuracyRohmah I, Chen YC, Lin CJ, Tsao NH, Chiu HY. Diagnostic accuracy of the pediatric CAM-ICU, pre-school CAM-ICU, Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium and Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium for detecting delirium in the pediatric intensive care unit: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Intensive & critical care nursing. 2024;82:103606. doi: 10.1016/j.iccn.2023.103606. PMID: 38158251.

    This systematic review synthesised diagnostic-accuracy evidence for psCAM-ICU. Across 5 studies involving Five psCAM-ICU diagnostic-accuracy studies, pooled sensitivity was 84% and specificity was 90%.

    Open PubMed ↗
Multiple DTA studies identifiedCore instrument family
Classification

Classification

Episodic assessmentAssessment of delirium in childrenUse in intensive care units

A tool may belong to more than one category. Select a linked category to see other relevant profiles.

Evidence

Diagnostic-accuracy evidenceMultiple DTA studies identified

Reported sensitivity and specificity

Headline metric source

Original/source study · 2016; pmid:26565631

Denominator
Reported source unit: 530 (analysis unit not fully reconciled)
Reference standard
Child/adolescent psychiatrist DSM-IV-TR/DSM-5-compatible delirium assessment with clinical collateral
75%
Sensitivity
91%
Specificity

Original validation, n=300.

More evidence and citation details
Full name
Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU
Also known as
psCAM-ICU, Preschool CAM-ICU
Evidence summary
multi
Diagnostic-accuracy evaluations
5
Reference standard
Child/adolescent psychiatrist DSM-IV-TR/DSM-5-compatible delirium assessment with clinical collateral
Citation
Smith HA, Gangopadhyay M, Goben CM, Jacobowski NL, Chestnut MH, Savage S, Rutherford MT, Denton D, Thompson JL, Chandrasekhar R, Acton M, Newman J, Noori HP, Terrell MK, Williams SR, Griffith K, Cooper TJ, Ely EW, Fuchs DC, Pandharipande PP The Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU: Valid and Reliable Delirium Monitoring for Critically Ill Infants and Children Critical care medicine. 2016;44(3):592-600. PMID 26565631
Download RIS ↗ Download BibTeX ↗

Primary validation studies

Distinct primary publications from the current diagnostic-accuracy audit. Reviews and repeated evaluations within one paper are not counted again. Overlapping cohorts have not all been reconciled. Read the counting rules and limitations.

Open 5 identified papers
  1. Smith HA, Gangopadhyay M, Goben CM, Jacobowski NL, Chestnut MH, Savage S, Rutherford MT, Denton D, Thompson JL, Chandrasekhar R, Acton M, Newman J, Noori HP, Terrell MK, Williams SR, Griffith K, Cooper TJ, Ely EW, Fuchs DC, Pandharipande PP (2016). The Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU: Valid and Reliable Delirium Monitoring for Critically Ill Infants and Children. Critical care medicine.

    Reference category: independent clinical reference.

  2. Matsuishi Y, Hoshino H, Shimojo N, Enomoto Y, Kido T, Matsuzaki A, Mathis BJ, Kawano S, Inoue Y (2019). Verifying the Japanese version of the Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (psCAM-ICU). Acute medicine & surgery.

    Reference category: independent clinical reference.

  3. Paterson RS, Kenardy JA, Dow BL, De Young AC, Pearson K, Aitken LM, Long DA (2021). Accuracy of delirium assessments in critically ill children: A prospective, observational study during routine care. Australian critical care : official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses.

    Reference category: independent clinical reference.

  4. Canter MO, Tanguturi YC, Ellen Wilson J, Williams SR, Exum SA, Umrania HM, Betters KA, Raman R, Ely EW, Pandharipande PP, Fuchs DC, Smith HAB (2021). Prospective Validation of the Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU to Screen for Delirium in Infants Less Than 6 Months Old. Critical care medicine.

    Reference category: independent clinical reference.

  5. Pinzón-Casas E, Soto-Trujillo M, Camargo-Agón L, Henao-Castaño Á, Gualdrón N, Bonilla-González C (2021). Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit-Spanish (psCAM-ICU-S): Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation in Colombia. Frontiers in pediatrics.

    Reference category: independent clinical reference.

Copyright and reuse
Version
Use the current version supplied by CIBS
Information checked
2026-07-19

Instrument-specific terms apply. See the access and copyright policy or send a correction.

Base clinical review: 2026-07-29. Instrument description source check: 2026-09-05. Scope and limitations.