An evaluation of two screening tools for cognitive impairment in older emergency department patients.

An evaluation of two screening tools for cognitive impairment in older emergency department patients.

Wilber Scott T; Lofgren Samuel D; Mager Thomas G; Blanda Michelle; Gerson Lowell W

Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

2005

2005-07

OBJECTIVES: Screening for cognitive impairment in older emergency department (ED) patients is recommended to ensure quality care. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) may be too long for routine ED use. Briefer alternatives include the Six-Item Screener (SIS) and the Mini-Cog. The objective of this study was to describe the test characteristics of the SIS and the Mini-Cog compared with the MMSE when administered to older ED patients. METHODS: This institutional review board-approved, prospective, randomized study was performed in a university-affiliated teaching hospital ED. Eligible patients were 65 years and older and able to communicate in English. Patients who were unable or unwilling to perform testing, who were medically unstable, or who received medications affecting their mental status were excluded. Patients were randomized to receive the SIS or the Mini-Cog by the treating emergency physician. Investigators administered the MMSE 30 minutes later. An SIS score of

*Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Aged; Cognition Disorders/*diagnosis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emergency Medicine/*instrumentation; Emergency Service; Female; Geriatrics/*instrumentation; Hospital; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity

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612–616

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