Early Recognition and Optimal Treatment of Delirium in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Summary

The investigators designed a randomised multicenter clinical trial for patients with advanced cancer who are admitted to the medical oncology ward or high-care hospice. On admission all patients with advanced cancer will be asked to participate in this study. Consenting patients will be submitted to delirium observation screening according to the DOS. Subsequently DOS screening will be performed twice weekly until discharge. Each patient who's score is \> 3 (DOS positive) is showing significant symptoms of delirium and will be submitted to the revised Delirium Rating Scale (DRS-R-98) to confirm diagnosis. To test validity of the DOS scale for this particular population, each DOS positive score will be randomly matched with a patient with a DOS score \< 3 (DOSnegative) and this patient will also be submitted to DRS-R-98. When diagnosis of delirium is confirmed by DRS-98, patients will be randomised between treatment of delirium with olanzapine or haloperidol (usual care). Treatment in both groups will consist of identification and management of underlying aetiologies of delirium if possible and adding neuroleptic medication for symptom control. Patients who recover from their delirium episode as well as their caregivers will be asked to complete the Delirium Experience Questionnaire (DEQ) to assess recall of the delirium experience and the degree of distress related to the delirium episode.

Timeline

Start

2010-03

Primary completion

2017-04

Completion

2017-04

Publications

• van der Vorst MJDL, Neefjes ECW, Boddaert MSA, Verdegaal BATT, Beeker A, Teunissen SCC, Beekman ATF, Wilschut JA, Berkhof J, Zuurmond WWA, Verheul HMW. Olanzapine Versus Haloperidol for Treatment of Delirium in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial. Oncologist. 2020 Mar;25(3):e570-e577. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0470. Epub 2019 Dec 8.
• Neefjes ECW, van der Vorst MJDL, Boddaert MSA, Verdegaal BATT, Beeker A, Teunissen SCC, Beekman ATF, Zuurmond WWA, Berkhof J, Verheul HMW. Accuracy of the Delirium Observational Screening Scale (DOS) as a screening tool for delirium in patients with advanced cancer. BMC Cancer. 2019 Feb 19;19(1):160. doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5351-8.

Drugs

Indications