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Home › Conditions › Delirium

Delirium

14 published articles · Updated continuously

Clinical Trial Landscape

Clinical Trials for Delirium

48 trials tracked for Delirium: 14 in phase 3 or 4 and 11 with published results. The most-cited published study has 587 citations.

48Trials tracked
14Phase 3 & 4
0Recruiting
11With published results
Phase distribution
Phase 4 8 Phase 3 6 Phase 2 7 Other / NA 27
  1. Phase 3 The Modifying the Impact of ICU-Associated Neurological Dysfunction-USA (MIND-USA) Study Completed · 587 cited
  2. Phase 3 The Prevention of Delirium and Complications Associated With Surgical Treatments Multi Center Clinical Trial Completed · 502 cited
  3. Phase 4 Dexmedetomidine and IV Acetaminophen for the Prevention of Postoperative Delirium Following Cardiac Surgery Completed · 323 cited
  4. Phase 3 The MENDS2 Study, Maximizing the Efficacy of Sedation and Reducing Neurological Dysfunction and Mortality in Septic Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure Completed · 289 cited
  5. Phase 4 Dexmedetomidine and Delirium in Patients After Cardiac Surgery Completed · 162 cited
  6. Phase 4 Dexmedetomidine Versus Morphine and Midazolam in Prevention and Treatment of Delirium After Adult Cardiac Surgery Completed · 51 cited
Show 42 more trials
  1. Phase 4 Preventing Post-Operative Delirium in Patients Undergoing a Pneumonectomy, Esophagectomy or Thoracotomy Completed · 47 cited
  2. Phase 3 Efficacy and Safety of Suvorexant (MK-4305) for Reducing Incidence of Delirium in Japanese Participants at High Risk of Delirium (MK-4305-085) Completed · 31 cited
  3. Phase 3 The Effect of Guanfacine on Delirium in Critically Ill Patients Completed · 26 cited
  4. Phase 3 Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Delirium Duration of Non-intubated ICU Patients (4D Trial) Completed · 22 cited
  5. Phase 4 Nicotine Replacement Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit Completed · 17 cited
  6. Phase 4 Feasibility of Prophylactic Haldol to Prevent Delirium in Cancer Patients Completed
  7. Phase 4 Dexmedetomidine to Prevent Agitation After Free Flap Surgery Completed
  8. Phase 4 Rivastigmine in the Treatment of Postoperative Delirium: a Pilot Clinical Trial Completed
  9. Phase 2 Ramelteon in the Prevention of Post-operative Delirium Completed
  10. Phase 2 The Impact of Ketamine on Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction, Delirium, and Renal Dysfunction Completed
  11. Phase 2 High Dose Intravenous Thiamine for the Prevention of Delirium in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Completed
  12. Phase 2 Maximizing trEatment of Neurological Dysfunction Using INtravenous Guanfacine Study Completed
  13. Phase 2 Supporting the Health of Adults Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery During the Recovery Period Completed
  14. Phase 2 Care.Coach Avatars for Improvement of Outcomes in Hospitalized Elders, Including Mitigation of Falls and Delirium: a Multi-Site Clinical Study Completed
  15. Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Trial of Dexmedetomidine for the Treatment of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Delirium Completed
  16. N/A Delirium and EuroSCORE II in Cardiac Surgery Completed
  17. N/A Pathway to Detection & Differentiation of Delirium & Dementia in the Emergency Department Completed
  18. N/A Cognitive Recovery After Electroconvulsive Therapy and General Anesthesia Completed
  19. N/A Effects of Scenario-based Education Initiative and OSCE for Recognition and Management of Delirium Completed
  20. N/A Examining the Association Between Pre-existing Sleep Disturbance and Postoperative Delirium Completed
  21. N/A Optimizing Cerebral Autoregulation During Surgery Completed
  22. N/A Nursing Assistant Intervention to Prevent Delirium in Nursing Homes Completed
  23. N/A Post-Operative Delirium in Elderly Surgical Patients Completed
  24. N/A EEG - Guided Anesthetic Care and Postoperative Delirium Completed
  25. N/A Prevention of Early Postoperative Decline Completed
  26. N/A Implementation of Multidisciplinary Assessments for Geriatric Patients in an ED Observation Unit Completed
  27. N/A Delirium in the Emergency Department: Novel Screening Completed
  28. N/A Pharmacological Management of Delirium Completed
  29. N/A Feasibility and Acceptability of Using Weighted Blankets to Prevent and /or Mitigate Delirium Completed
  30. N/A Recommendations and Alerting for Delirium Alleviation in Real-Time (RADAR) Completed
  31. N/A Acupuncture for Sedation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Completed
  32. N/A Postoperative Delirium: Brain Vulnerability and Recovery Completed
  33. N/A Effect of CPAP on Postoperative Delirium Completed
  34. N/A Determining the Preliminary Efficacy of the Emergency Department Delirium Screening and Detection Program Completed
  35. N/A Short-term Atorvastatin's Effect on Acute Kidney Injury Following Cardiac Surgery Completed
  36. N/A Family Automated Voice Reorientation Study Completed
  37. N/A Implementation Outcome Assessments of the Emergency Department Delirium Screening and Detection Program Completed
  38. N/A Feasibility and Acceptability of ReCognitionVR-based Cognitive Stimulation in Surgical Patients Completed
  39. N/A Early Cognitive Intervention in Delirium Completed
  40. N/A A Trial To Assess Risk of Delirium in Older Adults Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgery With Spinal or General Anesthesia Completed
  41. N/A Study of Melatonin on Sleep, Pain, and Confusion After Joint Replacement Surgery Completed
  42. N/A Improving the Recovery and Outcome Every Day After the ICU Completed

Showing the 48 most-cited and recently-updated of 48 trials. Browse the full registry →

Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Counts describe the research landscape and are not a treatment recommendation. Informational only — not medical advice.

What the trials found Updated — new results For clinicians

Delirium: what the trials found

Several pharmacological interventions have been evaluated for the management of delirium. Dexmedetomidine was studied across multiple trials, with results showing specific metrics such as duration of agitation 1, duration of delirium 1, and delirium/coma-free days (DCFDs) 17. One study noted that dexmedetomidine did not significantly impact the incidence of postoperative delirium or cognitive function 8, while another trial reported a mean of 8 to 7.5 DCFDs 17.

Haloperidol was evaluated for its efficacy in reducing days with delirium 10 and providing delirium/coma-free days 15. Other pharmacological agents investigated include Suvorexant, which showed no significant difference in the percentage of patients meeting DSM-5 criteria for delirium or on the DRS-R-98 scale 18, and Guanfacine, which did not show a statistically significant difference in days without delirium 19 or days alive without delirium or coma 20.

Ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) was evaluated in a trial where no significant differences were found regarding the incidence of delirium over post-operative days 1-3, maximum daily pain, or median opioid consumption 16. Other interventions included transdermal nicotine patches 11 and rivastigmine patches 14.

Recent results — preliminary, needs further review

  • Evaluation of screening tools including the ED Delirium Screening and Detection Program (ED-DDP) [3, 5] and geriatric screening tools 6.
  • Use of a weighted blanket in an ICU setting, which recorded average usage of 2 hours per day 4.
  • Assessment of risk scores using EuroSCORE II and CAM-ICU 2.

For the clinician treating this condition

  • Dexmedetomidine has been studied extensively for delirium management; however, data on its impact on postoperative delirium incidence and cognitive function did not show statistically significant differences in specific trials 8.
  • Haloperidol is established as an intervention for reducing days with delirium 10 and increasing delirium/coma-free days 15.
  • Pharmacological agents such as Suvorexant and Guanfacine did not demonstrate statistically significant improvements in delirium duration or frequency in the reported trials [18, 19, 20].

AI synthesis of 14 cited trials, updated Jun 25, 2026. Informational only — not medical advice; trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. How we use AI.

HCP Mode — summaries include clinical detail, trial data, and statistical outcomes.
Patient Mode — summaries use plain language, avoiding clinical jargon.
Delirium prevalence of 41% among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome
Pulmonology & Critical Care Meta-analysis
Delirium prevalence of 41% among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome Delirium is common and impacts recovery for patients with ARDS
This meta-analysis of 10,052 ICU patients found a delirium prevalence of 41% (95% CI: 23%-58%) in those with ARDS. While the risk of deliriu…
Nearly half of patients with severe lung distress develop delirium, which can lead to longer hospital stays and more time on breathing machi…
Aug 3, 2026
Sensory stimulation reduces delirium incidence and duration in ICU patients across meta-analyzed trials
Emergency Medicine Meta-analysis
Sensory stimulation reduces delirium incidence and duration in ICU patients across meta-analyzed trials Sensory stimulation helps ICU patients with delirium and consciousness
This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving 1522 ICU patients found that sensory stimulation significantly improved level o…
Sensory stimulation can improve awareness and reduce the occurrence of delirium for patients in intensive care units.
Jul 30, 2026
Multicomponent nonpharmacological interventions reduce delirium incidence in adult patients with cancer
Oncology Meta-analysis
Multicomponent nonpharmacological interventions reduce delirium incidence in adult patients with cancer Non-drug approaches cut delirium risk in cancer patients
This meta-analysis evaluated various nonpharmacological interventions to determine their impact on delirium incidence in adult cancer patien…
A review of 2,747 patients finds that multicomponent non-drug interventions can reduce delirium in cancer patients, especially after surgery…
Jul 4, 2026
Postoperative delirium linked to greater cognitive decline one year after hip fracture repair in older adults
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine RCT
Postoperative delirium linked to greater cognitive decline one year after hip fracture repair in older adults Postoperative delirium linked to worse thinking one year after hip fracture repair
This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial examined older adults with hip fracture repair. Participants with postoperative delir…
Older adults with hip fractures who developed postoperative delirium showed greater cognitive decline one year later compared to those witho…
Jun 5, 2026
Delirium-directed interventions show mixed long-term cognitive outcomes in ICU survivors with acute respiratory failure
Neurology Meta-analysis
Delirium-directed interventions show mixed long-term cognitive outcomes in ICU survivors with acute respiratory failure New review finds no lasting brain boost for ICU patients after delirium
This systematic review synthesizes four randomized clinical trials and one contextual trial regarding delirium-directed interventions in ICU…
A review of four trials found no lasting improvement in thinking skills or daily life for ICU patients treated for delirium.
Frontiers Jun 5, 2026
Case report details vitamin B12 treatment for nitrous oxide induced neurological damage
Psychiatry Sys. Review
Case report details vitamin B12 treatment for nitrous oxide induced neurological damage Nitrous oxide linked to lasting brain fog and nerve damage
This case report describes a patient with protracted encephalopathy associated with nitrous oxide use who received vitamin B12 supplementati…
Chronic nitrous oxide use can cause lasting brain fog and nerve damage, and a new case report shows vitamin B12 may help but long-term plans…
Frontiers May 15, 2026
Systematic review and meta-analysis on delirium prevalence in advanced cancer patients
Neurology Meta-analysis
Systematic review and meta-analysis on delirium prevalence in advanced cancer patients One in three advanced cancer patients face hidden confusion
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data on delirium prevalence in patients with advanced cancer. The pooled prevalence was…
A new review finds delirium affects about one in three advanced cancer patients, urging earlier screening and care.
Frontiers May 14, 2026
Meta-analysis links acute kidney injury to increased stroke, delirium, and dementia risk
Neurology Meta-analysis
Meta-analysis links acute kidney injury to increased stroke, delirium, and dementia risk Kidney Injury Today Linked to Higher Stroke and Dementia Risk Tomorrow
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data from 11,253,825 participants on associations between acute kidney injury and subse…
New research shows kidney injury dramatically increases later dementia risk even after recovery surprising many who thought kidneys and brai…
May 11, 2026
Meta-analysis associates deep sedation with increased delirium and mortality in ICU patients
Rheumatology Meta-analysis
Meta-analysis associates deep sedation with increased delirium and mortality in ICU patients Deep Sedation in ICU Linked to Higher Delirium and Death Risk
This meta-analysis of 3,466 patients examines the relationship between deep sedation and clinical outcomes in the ICU. The findings suggest …
A new analysis of over 3,400 ICU patients finds that deep sedation is linked to higher rates of delirium, death, and longer hospital stays, …
Frontiers May 4, 2026
Systematic review of post-stroke delirium prediction models finds moderate discriminative ability
Neurology Meta-analysis
Systematic review of post-stroke delirium prediction models finds moderate discriminative ability New Tools Help Spot Confusion After a Stroke
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized 12 studies constructing 21 risk prediction models for post-stroke delirium. The combine…
Doctors can now spot dangerous confusion after a stroke more accurately using new prediction tools that look at age and heart health.
May 2, 2026
Low-use wrist-strap restraint strategy did not improve days free of delirium or coma compared with high-use strategy in mechanically ventilated adults
Emergency Medicine RCT
Low-use wrist-strap restraint strategy did not improve days free of delirium or coma compared with high-use strategy in mechanically ventilated adults ICU Wrist Restraints: The Surprising Truth About Using Fewer
This randomized clinical trial evaluated a restrictive, low-use wrist-strap physical restraint strategy versus a liberal, high-use strategy …
A major ICU trial found that using fewer wrist restraints did not help patients stay more alert or avoid confusion while on breathing machin…
JAMA Apr 16, 2026
Nurse-led sedation protocols reduce mortality and delirium in mechanically ventilated ICU patients
Emergency Medicine Meta-analysis
Nurse-led sedation protocols reduce mortality and delirium in mechanically ventilated ICU patients Nurse-led sedation protocols in intensive care may reduce patient mortality and complications
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs involving 1,887 mechanically ventilated ICU patients found nurse-led sedation protocols sig…
Nurse-led sedation protocols in intensive care significantly reduce patient death, confusion, and hospital stay length for those on breathin…
Apr 6, 2026

Questions about Delirium

Can doctors predict how likely a patient with delirium is to die?

Yes, doctors can estimate mortality risk in delirious ICU patients using prediction models, but accuracy is moderate (AUC ~0.74) and not precise enough for individual prognosis.

Full answer →
Do low-use wrist restraints help patients stay free of delirium longer?

No, a low-use wrist restraint strategy does not improve delirium-free days compared to a high-use strategy in mechanically ventilated ICU patients.

Full answer →
How common is delirium in patients with advanced cancer?

Delirium is very common in advanced cancer, affecting about 35% of patients overall and over 80% in the final days of life.

Full answer →

All Delirium Articles