An enhanced exercise and cognitive programme does not appear to reduce incident delirium in hospitalised patients: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To determine if a programme of progressive resistance exercise, mobilisation and orientation, in addition to usual care, was superior to usual care alone in the prevention of incident delirium in older hospitalised patients.

Design: A randomised controlled trial.

Setting: The study was performed at a secondary referral hospital in Melbourne, Australia between May 2005 and December 2007.

Participants: 648 consecutive medical inpatients aged 65 years or older who had been in hospital for less than 48 h and who did not have delirium.

Intervention: Participants were randomly allocated to a twice-daily programme of progressive resistance exercise tailored to individual ability, mobilisation and orientation in addition to usual care or to usual care alone.

Measurements: Delirium was measured using the Confusion Assessment Method at baseline and every 48 h until discharge. Secondary outcome measures were severity and duration of delirium, discharge destination and length of stay.

Results: Delirium occurred in 4.9% (95% CI 2.3% to 7.3%) of the intervention group (15/305) and in 5.9% (20/339; 95% CI 3.8% to 9.2%) of the group receiving usual care. No difference was observed between groups (χ(2); p=0.5). The intervention had no effect on delirium duration, severity, discharge destination or length of stay.

Conclusion: A programme of progressive resistance exercise and orientation was not effective in reducing incident delirium in hospitalised elderly patients.