Do you have strong views on the use of restraints? Or are you ambivalent?  Or maybe you feel you just don’t know enough?  Later in the year, there are 2 meetings addressing this issue in the south of England.

 STICUMUP (South Thames Intensive Care Unit Managers Group) are hosting a day dedicated to “Fighting for Better Patient Care” on 14th October in Crawley, see http://www.sticumup.org.uk/ for further details. 

The Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Critical Care Network have provisionally organised a day conference on Delirium and Restraints for Monday September 12th to be held in Cambridge.  More details from Kimberly Giraud, Clinical Trial Co-ordinator at the Papworth Hospital - kimberly.giraud@nhs.net.

Delirium in Critical Care available now from Amazon and other book outlets written by Valerie Page and Wes Ely - first editions!

The inaugaral meeting of the American Delirium Society takes place next month in Indianapolis.  Be part of this historical event why don’t you!  The programme is available from http://www.americandeliriumsociety.org/uploads/FINAL_ADS_Program_At-a-Glance.pdf

If you can’t make the meeting please consider joining the society - a years membership is $100.

The Spring European Delirium Assocation newsletter is out now.  It is currently free to download and read from the EDA website, keep up to date with the European world of delirium.

http://www.europeandeliriumassociation.com/news/annals-of-delirium-vol-4-march-2011-available-to-download/

Online Wall Street Journal have published a timely article about ICU delirium.  Could it be that delirium will enter the consciousness of the UK media soon?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704081604576144321242020948.html

The NIHR Dementia Themed Call is now open.  It extends across the translational pathway, covering fields of cause, cure and care, including prevention.  Seven of the NIHR managed research programmes are participating.  Well run targeted research will help demonstrate whether delirium is a preventable cause of long-term cognitive impairment or not.  Do the research! 

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/research/Pages/Dementia.aspx

Hot off the press a practical book with everything you need to know about ICU delirium from incidence to risk factors, relevant pathophysiology, screening and detection to management both with and without drugs.  Written by Valerie Page and Wes Ely there are actual cases to illustrate, and illustrations to illustrate and patient testimony!

Delirium in Critical Care published by Cambridge University Press with a cover price of around £22 (less than a cockle from Amazon)

More details on the website www.americandeliriumsociety.org  

Did you know that if you search for the word Delirium on the BBC website you are likely to be directed to the Sports page?  Look under concerns for the over 50s on the Health page and you will find Ebola virus and flaky scalp but not delirium.  Delirium - rife in the community and hospitals, 60+% in our sick ventilated patients, with a legacy of death and dementia. 

Lets get delirium where it belongs into the UK consciousness or at least the BBCs!  E mail them by going on to the BBC Health page then click on contact us at the bottom.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/

If you are battling with establishing delirium screening and management but feel like you are swimming against the tide it might be useful to step back and look at the overall view - a tonic for the troops?!  Watch one of the podcasts from the Lets respect campaign - Professor Alisdair MacLulllich on Delirium in the General Hospital patient or Dr Valerie Page on ICU Delirium.

Find them at: http://tinyurl.com/chddgm or via the ICU webcast link on the left hand menu.