Continued use of statins may help prevent delirium in critically ill patients who received statins before hospital admission, according to a new study of 470 intensive care patients in the UK.Statins reduce bacterial activity. And periodontal infection. And seem to reduce bacteremia.
"This is the first study using a validated delirium screening tool, the Confusion Assessment Method-ICU (CAM-ICU), to show that the administration of statins reduces delirium in these patients," said lead author Valerie J Page MB ChB, of the Watford General Hospital in Watford, UK. "This benefit may be mediated by a reduction in systemic inflammation."
Of the 470 patients included in the study, 151 received statins. Statins were only administered to patients who had received statins prior to admission.
After adjustment for age, sex and illness severity, administration of statins the previous evening was associated with a significantly lower risk of delirium and a concomitant reduction in serum C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, the following day. The strength of the relationship between statin use and a lower risk of delirium was reduced when CRP was adjusted for.
Delirium is a common symptom of sepsis, an acute form of bacteremia which causes systemic inflammation.
This is a simple matter of infection, people.
As I was saying- Been there, done that. Yesterday.
"Our findings suggest that statin treatment should be continued to help prevent delirium in critically ill patients who received statins before being admitted," said Dr. Page.Holy drug induced distraction, Batman. Get a frakking blood culture and check those people's mouths!
