Sour Seven: Sour Seven Questionnaire
2016Seven-item questionnaire suitable for completion by informal or untrained caregivers to screen for delirium in hospitalised seniors.
Classification
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Tool and original sources
No direct copy is linked here. The original paper and a Google Images search are available below. Image results may be unofficial; check the version and source before use.
Original and selected diagnostic-accuracy papers
- Original paperShulman RW, Kalra S, Jiang JZ. Validation of the Sour Seven Questionnaire for screening delirium in hospitalized seniors by informal caregivers and untrained nurses. BMC geriatrics. 2016;16:44. doi: 10.1186/s12877-016-0217-2. PMID: 26879927.
This paper reports the original validation of Sour Seven. It is the main source for the method, its intended use and the evidence available at publication.
Article PDF: CC BY. This licence applies to the article PDF and does not grant rights to reproduce the tool.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyFiest KM, Krewulak KD, Ely EW, Davidson JE, Ismail Z, Sept BG, et al. Partnering With Family Members to Detect Delirium in Critically Ill Patients. Critical care medicine. 2020;48(7):954-961. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000004367. PMID: 32332281.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated Sour Seven in large tertiary-care academic adult ICU against an independent DSM-5 clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 72.9% and specificity of 68.8% in 147 ICU patient-family dyads.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Episodic assessment
- Population
- Adult
- Setting
- General / acute hospital
- Time
- variable
- Items
- 7
- Score or threshold
- ≥4 (screen); ≥9 (diagnostic)
Format: The instrument records 7 scored items or observations. This site classifies it under episodic assessment and informant tools. It is intended for adult use in General / acute hospital. The stated administration time is variable. The published result is recorded using ≥4 (screen); ≥9 (diagnostic).
- Strengths: Usable by untrained/informal caregivers
- Limitations: Small validation sample
Evidence
Reported sensitivity and specificity
Score ≥4; n=39 with psychiatrist reference.
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Sour Seven Questionnaire
- Also known as
- Sour Seven
- Evidence summary
- multi
- Diagnostic-accuracy studies
- 3
- Reference standard
- Geriatric psychiatrist
- Citation
- Shulman RW, Kalra S, Jiang JZ Validation of the Sour Seven Questionnaire for screening delirium in hospitalized seniors by informal caregivers and untrained nurses BMC geriatrics. 2016;16:44. PMID 26879927
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.