-3-5x increased risk of nosocomial infections, prolonged stay, nursing-home placement
-increased risk of death up to 2 years following discharge
-predisposing factors: advanced age, dementia, functional impairment in ADLs, medical comorbidity, hx of alcohol abuse, male, decreased vision or hearing
-Disturbance of consciousness w/ reduced ability to focus, sustain, or shift attention
-Change in cognition (eg, memory deficit, disorientation, language disturbance) or a perceptual disturbance not better accounted for by existing dementia
-Development over a short time (hours to days) and fluctuation during the day
-Evidence from history, physical, or labs that the disturbance is a direct physiologic consequence of a medical condition or a drug