Delirium screening tools: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a frequent form of acute brain dysfunction in mechanically ventilated patients. Screening tools have been developed to identify delirium, but it is unclear which tool is the most accurate. Therefore, we provide a protocol of systematic evaluation to assess the accuracy of delirium screening tools in mechanically ventilated patients. METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library will be searched. Studies involving mechanically ventilated patients which compared diagnostic tools with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria as a reference standard will be included. We will use MetaDiSC and STATA 15.1 to analyze carefully when a network meta-analysis is allowed. RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality synthesis to assess the accuracy of different screening methods in mechanically ventilated patients. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our systematic review will provide evidence to judge which screening method is the best for mechanically ventilated patients.