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In this multi-site retrospective cohort of 2,827 adults aged 65 years or older, delirium was present in 16.0% of emergency department encounters, confirming that altered acute cognition is common at the front door of hospital care.
Delirium was not confined to patients later hospitalized. Although prevalence reached 27.3% among admitted patients, 7.9% of all patients discharged from the ED also had delirium, emphasizing a clinically important group at risk for missed recognition and unsafe transitions.
