4AT (Rapid Assessment Test for Delirium)ACS-NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator AD8 Dementia Screening Anticholinergic Burden Score (ACB)Barthel Index Beers Criteria (PIMs)Berg Balance Scale Braden Scale CAM — Confusion Assessment Method Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR)Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)Clock Drawing Test (CDT)Cornell Scale for Depression (CSDD)DOSS (Delirium Observation Screening Scale)DRS-R-98 (Delirium Rating Scale)Drug Burden Index (DBI)Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS)FRAIL Scale Fried Frailty Phenotype Functional Independence Measure (FIM)Functional Reach Test Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15)Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI)HELP Score (Postoperative Delirium Risk)Hendrich II Fall Risk Model ICIQ-UI SF interRAI Clinical Assessment IQCODE Katz Index of Independence in ADLs Lawton Instrumental ADL Scale mFI-5 Preoperative Frailty Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) - Full Mini-Cog MMSE MNA-SF (Short Form)Morse Fall Scale MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool)Norton Scale OAB-V8 OST (Osteoporosis Screening Tool)OSTA (Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians)Six-Item Screener (SIS)SPMSQ STOPP/START Criteria STRATIFY Risk Assessment Tool Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test Triage Risk Screening Tool (TRST)Waterlow Score

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CAM — Confusion Assessment Method

CAM Algorithm: Delirium = Feature 1 AND Feature 2 AND (Feature 3 OR Feature 4). Requires direct observation and informant input.

Clinical Assessment

Feature 1: Acute Onset & Fluctuating Course

Required

Is there evidence of an acute change in mental status from the patient's baseline? Does the abnormal behaviour fluctuate during the day (tends to come and go, or increase/decrease in severity)?

💡 Ask caregivers, nurses, or family: "Is this new/different for them?"

Feature 2: Inattention

Required

Did the patient have difficulty focusing attention? For example: easily distracted, or has difficulty keeping track of what is being said?

💡 Test: digit span (forward), spell "WORLD" backwards, or months backwards

Feature 3: Disorganised Thinking

Was the patient's thinking disorganised or incoherent? For example: rambling or irrelevant conversation, unclear or illogical flow of ideas, or unpredictable switching from subject to subject?

💡 Feature 3 OR Feature 4 must be present (along with 1 and 2)

Feature 4: Altered Level of Consciousness

Overall, how would you rate this patient's level of consciousness? Anything other than alert (normal) qualifies.

💡 Vigilant = hyperalert; Lethargic = drowsy but arousable; Stuporous = difficult to arouse; Comatose

Guidelines & Evidence

Verified

Last Review: 2026

When to Use

Suspected delirium in any hospitalised older adult — particularly post-operative.

Routine shift-by-shift delirium surveillance in geriatric, medical, and surgical wards.

Distinguishing delirium from dementia or acute psychiatric illness.

Gold Standard Bedside Tool

The CAM has sensitivity 94–100% and specificity 89–95% validated against DSM-III-R criteria. Endorsed by AGS, NICE, and the British Geriatrics Society.

Related Scores in Practice

In clinical practice, this assessment is frequently evaluated alongside other validated measures. Depending on the patient's presentation and specific diagnostic requirements, you may also need to utilize the 4AT (Rapid Assessment Test for Delirium), Cam Icu, DOSS (Delirium Observation Screening Scale) or the DRS-R-98 (Delirium Rating Scale) to formulate a comprehensive care plan.

Last Comprehensive Review: 2026

Related Geriatrics Tools

4AT

DOSS

DRS-R-98

Triage Risk Screening Tool

Geriatrics Calculators Internal Medicine Calculators Emergency Medicine Calculators

Have feedback about this calculator?Let us know.

In Recent Clinical News

Scanning Medical Journals

No new significant updates or guidelines matching this topic were found today. We will check again soon.

CAM — Confusion Assessment Method

CAM Algorithm: Delirium = Feature 1 AND Feature 2 AND (Feature 3 OR Feature 4). Requires direct observation and informant input.

Clinical Assessment

Feature 1: Acute Onset & Fluctuating Course

Required

Is there evidence of an acute change in mental status from the patient's baseline? Does the abnormal behaviour fluctuate during the day (tends to come and go, or increase/decrease in severity)?

💡 Ask caregivers, nurses, or family: "Is this new/different for them?"

Feature 2: Inattention

Required

Did the patient have difficulty focusing attention? For example: easily distracted, or has difficulty keeping track of what is being said?

💡 Test: digit span (forward), spell "WORLD" backwards, or months backwards

Feature 3: Disorganised Thinking

Was the patient's thinking disorganised or incoherent? For example: rambling or irrelevant conversation, unclear or illogical flow of ideas, or unpredictable switching from subject to subject?

💡 Feature 3 OR Feature 4 must be present (along with 1 and 2)

Feature 4: Altered Level of Consciousness

Overall, how would you rate this patient's level of consciousness? Anything other than alert (normal) qualifies.

💡 Vigilant = hyperalert; Lethargic = drowsy but arousable; Stuporous = difficult to arouse; Comatose

Guidelines & Evidence

Verified

Last Review: 2026

When to Use

Suspected delirium in any hospitalised older adult — particularly post-operative.

Routine shift-by-shift delirium surveillance in geriatric, medical, and surgical wards.

Distinguishing delirium from dementia or acute psychiatric illness.

Gold Standard Bedside Tool

The CAM has sensitivity 94–100% and specificity 89–95% validated against DSM-III-R criteria. Endorsed by AGS, NICE, and the British Geriatrics Society.

Related Scores in Practice

Last Comprehensive Review: 2026

Related Geriatrics Tools

4AT

DOSS

DRS-R-98

Triage Risk Screening Tool

Geriatrics Calculators Internal Medicine Calculators Emergency Medicine Calculators

Have feedback about this calculator?Let us know.