{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.026013771996939557, 'fraction_numerical': 0.00612088752869166, 'mean_word_length': 5.169811320754717, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
EEG changes and serum anticholinergic activity measured in patients with delirium in the intensive care unit

The aim of this study was to examine whether serum anticholinergic activity (SAA) is a reliable indicator of delirium in the ICU, and whether there is a significant correlation between SAA and quantitative electroencephalographic (EEG) data in delirious patients. In a prospective cohort study, we assessed ICU patients diagnosed with delirium (n = 37). EEG measurements and blood analysis including SAA were performed 48 h following ICU admission. The presence of delirium was evaluated using the Confusion Assessment Method for critically ill patients in ICU (CAM‐ICU). The SAA level was measured using a competitive radioreceptor binding assay for muscarinergic receptors and quantitative EEG was measured using the CATEEM® system. We found that, under comparable conditions, patients in the delirium group showed a higher relative EEG theta power and a reduced alpha power (n = 17) than did the non‐delirious patients (n = 20). No difference in measured SAA levels were seen; therefore, there was no correlation between SAA and EEG measurements in delirious patients. We conclude that, in contrast to the EEG, the SAA level cannot be proposed as a tool for diagnosing delirium in ICU patients.