Psychiatric conditions and delirium in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the patients who were consulted to psychiatry while receiving inpatient treatment due to COVID-19 infection based on sociodemographic data, medical history, diagnoses and treatments. Methods: This is a retrospective study in which the consultations were retrospectively reviewed using information obtained from electronic medical records. The consultant psychiatrists created a structured data collection form to evaluate the clinical and demographic features of the patients. Results: Ninety-nine of the psychiatry consultation results of patients were evaluated. The mean age of patients was 64.48 ± 18.82. The most common medical diagnoses are hypertension (n=32, 32.3%) and heart disease (n=21, 21.1%). The most common reason for consultation was agitation (n=27, 27.2%), and the most common diagnosis was delirium (n=25, 25.2%) and anxiety disorders (n=23, 23.2%). Increasing age, presence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and oxygen inhalation therapy were factors affecting the diagnosis of delirium. In contrast, the presence of heart disease or diabetes mellitus increased the risk of anxiety disorder, and antipsychotic use decreased this risk. Conclusion: It has been revealed that inpatients with COVID-19 were at risk of psychiatric disorders, especially delirium and anxiety disorders. Psychiatric conditions may notably influence the prognosis and treatment of COVID-19.