VE-CAM-S: Visual EEG Confusion Assessment Method Severity

2022

A 0-20 visually interpreted EEG scale for acute encephalopathy severity across delirium and coma. It requires clinical EEG and trained interpretation and is not a stand-alone delirium diagnosis.

At a glance

Purpose: Measurement of delirium severity
Population: Adults undergoing clinical EEG across ICU and non-ICU inpatient wards
Setting: General / acute hospital, Intensive care
Time: visual interpretation of a clinical EEG by a trained reader; exact scoring time not reported
Score or threshold: No stand-alone delirium diagnostic threshold

Format: A trained reader identifies weighted findings on a standard EEG. Ordinary findings contribute 1, 2, 4 or 6 points, while predefined severe encephalopathy patterns receive 20. Higher totals indicate greater acute encephalopathy severity.

Training and instructions

Public training resources have not yet been confirmed in this review. Check the linked developer or original source for instructions.

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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.

Open project website ↗ Read the full paper ↗

Original paper

Principal sourceTesh RA, Sun H, Jing J, Westmeijer M, Neelagiri A, Rajan S, et al. VE-CAM-S: Visual EEG-Based Grading of Delirium Severity and Associations With Clinical Outcomes. Critical care explorations. 2022;4(1):e0611. doi: 10.1097/CCE.0000000000000611. PMID: 35072078.
This is the principal published source for VE-CAM-S itself. It is the main source for the method, its intended use and the evidence available at publication.
Open PubMed ↗Download article PDF ↓
Article PDF: CC BY-NC-ND. This licence applies to the article PDF and does not grant rights to reproduce the tool.

No eligible DTA study identifiedEmerging context

Classification

Measurement of delirium severity Detailed phenomenological and/or neuropsychological assessment Use in intensive care units

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Evidence

Diagnostic-accuracy evidenceNo eligible DTA study identified

Reported sensitivity and specificity

not applicable

Sensitivity

not applicable

Specificity

Correlation with CAM-S long-form severity was 0.67; AUC was 0.85 for CAM-S 0 versus CAM-S 4 or more.

More evidence and citation details

Full name: Visual EEG Confusion Assessment Method Severity
Related profiles: CAM-S, E-CAM-S
Evidence summary: prospective-derivation-with-internal-cross-validation
Citation: Tesh RA, Sun H, Jing J, et al. VE-CAM-S: Visual EEG-Based Grading of Delirium Severity and Associations With Clinical Outcomes Critical Care Explorations. 2022;4(1):e0611. PMID 35072078

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.

No eligible diagnostic-accuracy paper is currently included in this audit. This does not mean the tool has never been validated. The source paper and other evidence on this profile may concern severity, reliability or another measurement purpose.

Version: VE-CAM-S research model and BDSP project v1.0; source model published 2022
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.

VE-CAM-S: Visual EEG Confusion Assessment Method Severity

At a glance

Primary validation papers

Large-scale clinical implementation