ORCHARD-PS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Oxford and Reading cognitive health after recovery from acute illness and delirium-prospective study
IRAS ID
314002
Contact name
Sarah T Pendlebury
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford/Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
The aim of the research is to understand what causes new or worsened confusion (so-called delirium) in older hospital patients and to identify those who will recover versus those who are at high risk of future dementia using clinical information, brain scan pictures and blood tests.
Over half of people admitted to hospital are aged 65 or older. During admission, healthcare staff enter medical information into the patient’s electronic patient record (EPR). Often, patients have scans to provide pictures of the brain, e.g. to check for injury after a fall and are usually done using a CT-scanner, which provides pictures quickly and easily. Many older patients are at high risk of delirium and future dementia because of multiple conditions and the effects of hospital illness. We want to understand why some patients get delirium in hospital and which patients recover well and which patients do not recover well and are then at high risk of future dementia over the next 3 years after hospital discharge. To achieve this, we will collect clinical information from patients using questionnaires and from EPRs, do brain scans using a new generation CT-scanner, and take blood samples to look for markers of infection and inflammation and genetic factors.
For both delirium and dementia, we will develop risk scores using information:
from clinical information only and from clinical information together with information from brain scans and blood tests.
Eventually, these risk scores will be shown in the EPR to help healthcare staff provide better care for patients. In addition, our work will help understand why delirium occurs in older people in hospital and which patients are at-risk of future dementia. This will help design trials of preventive treatments for delirium and dementia in the future. Our proposal has been developed in collaboration with dementia patients, carers and the Alzheimer’s Society.REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0199
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion