During the three-day trial, about a hundred patients in the geriatric ward will receive an EEG twice a day. The hospital hopes that this test will show whether delirium can be recognized earlier, so that action can be taken earlier. The acute confusion that occurs with delirium usually occurs in the elderly, after surgery or with an inflammation in the body, for example.
Delirium can be easily overlooked and usually only becomes apparent when it is well advanced. People who have this show restless, confused or even aggressive behavior.
The EEG equipment can detect the onset of delirium with great accuracy. Geriatrician Etienne Meulen says: ,,This approach is still being tested in a small number of hospitals. We are not yet participating in a scientific study, but have opted for a test set-up. If we have the impression that it is effective, we can continue the working method and still join research.”