Polish Validation 4AT Tool

Overview

Delirium is a phenomenon which affects patients with various disorders and representing various age groups. Screening instruments make it possible to diagnose the condition at an early stage and to prevent its development. The aim of the study is to examine the reliability and validity of the Polish version of the 4AT (Pol4-AT) in patients after cardiac surgery. Procedure of validation: After obtaining the author's consent, the original English version of the 4AT was separately translated by 3 centres working on the validation of the Pol4-AT (University of Rzeszów, Poland; University Hospital in England; Karolinska University, Sweden). Then, three translations were compared, to be approved by the project supervisor (Karolinska University). Any doubts arising during the comparison were consulted with the English translator. As a result, one coherent version was accepted and translated back into English. The questionnaire was distributed in a convenient sample of 20 patients to examine the validity of the face. Vague words and statements were changed, and the final version translated into Polish was created. The Pol4-AT was tested for internal consistency and reliability.

Delirium, which generally is triggered by underlying medical conditions, is an acute and fluctuating disorder associated with attention and cognitive defects, and frequently accompanied by excessive arousal and perception-related problems. Delirium may lead to a variety of complications, e.g. cognitive impairments. Development of delirium is promoted by both anaesthesia and pain. Patients subjected to cardiac surgeries are at risk of delirium due to such factors as extracorporeal circulation applied during the intervention and various cardiovascular complications. Rapid identification of the problem may help eliminate avoidable complications which can be prevented at an early stage.

Conditions