Table 1 Abstracted symptoms in relation to the DSM-5 criteria

A.

A disturbance in attention (i.e., reduced ability to direct, focus, sustain, and shift attention) and awareness (reduced orientation to the environment).

Any verbatim comment e.g. "agitated", "drowsiness", "somnolent", "not alert", "slept poorly", "fumbles", "pulls out urine probe", "tears off wound dressing"

Any formal rating e.g. GCS, RASS

B.

The disturbance develops over a short period of time (usually hours to a few days), represents a change from baseline attention and awareness, and tends to fluctuate in severity during the day.

Any verbatim comment indicating a change in mental state which was recovered in short time after treatment.

C.

An additional disturbance in cognition (e.g. memory deficit, disorientation, language, visuospatial ability, or perception).

Any comment e.g. "confused", "disorientated", "talking nonsense", "hallucinations"

D.

The disturbances in Criteria A and C are not better explained by a pre-existing, established or evolving neurocognitive disorder and do not occur in the context of a severely reduced level of arousal, such as coma.

Any formal assessment e.g. GCS, RASS; any formal cognitive assessment e.g. AMT, MMSE

Any formal specialty assessment, e.g. neurology, geriatric medicine, liaison psychiatry

Any verbatim comment such as "more confused", "comatose", "no response at all"

E.

There is evidence from the history, physical examination or laboratory findings that the disturbance is a direct physiological consequence of another medical condition, substance intoxication or withdrawal, or exposure to a toxin, or is due to multiple etiologies.

Hip fracture surgery was considered a precipitating medical condition, and was present in all patients

General clinical vignette, including metabolic and laboratory parameters taken closest to date of prevalence study