Delirium Treatment With Acupuncture in Internal Medicine Departments

Delirium Treatment With Acupuncture in Internal Medicine Departments: a Randomized Sham-controlled Clinical Trial

Delirium frequently occurs in hospitalized older people, and treatment options are limited. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce agitation in the setting of dementia. The investigators will test the hypothesis that it may also assist in treating delirium.

This randomized-controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture integrated with standard care as compared to standard care only for the treatment of delirium in hospitalized older persons.

Patients aged 65 and older, hospitalized in the internal medicine departments of Bnai Zion Medical Center and diagnosed with delirium or subsyndromal delirium will be randomized to either true acupuncture with usual care, or usual care only. Daily treatments and outcomes' follow-up will be conducted up to one week from recruitment or until resolution of delirium or subsyndromal delirium for 48 hours. The primary outcome will be delirium resolution evaluated as time-to-first delirium remission (over 7 days) and the number of days spent delirium-free.Side effects will be monitored daily.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hospitalized in internal medicine department
• Aged over 65 years
• Delirium or subsyndromal delirium within the last 48 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

• Platelet count under 20x10^9/L
• Encephalopathy explained by a cause other than delirium (acute stroke, alcohol, cirrhosis, etc.)
• History of severe dementia
• Communication barriers preventing delirium assessment