Nutritional Therapy for Delirium in Elderly Hospitalized Subjects

This will be an interventional pilot study to determine the effectiveness of a specific amino acid supplement developed by the investigators versus standard treatment in mitigating delirium in geriatric patients hospitalized at UAMS for certain infections. Up to 40 delirious and 20 non-delirious subjects (Aged 60 years and older) of any gender or ethnicity will be enrolled (60 subjects maximum). Twenty patients with delirium will be asked to drink this blend twice a day for up to 4 days, and 20 patients with delirium will receive standard treatment in the hospital for the same time period. The other 20 subjects will be non-delirious control subjects who do not consume any study products. All subjects will undergo 2-5 blood draws and 3-7 cognitive assessments while they are admitted to the hospital, depending on study group assignment and discharge date.

Inclusion criteria

Delirious cohort

• Aged 60 years and older.
• Documented presence of either delirium, acute confusion, or altered mental status in medical record.
• Currently hospitalized with a diagnosis of one of the following:

• sepsis/septicemia
• Pneumonia
• Urinary tract infection
• Clostridium-difficile infection
• Other bone or tissue infection
• Fever of unknown origin

Inclusion criteria

NON-Delirious cohort

• Aged 60 years and older.
• Current diagnosis of one of the following:

• sepsis/septicemia
• Pneumonia
• Urinary tract infection
• Clostridium-difficile infection
• Other bone or tissue infection
• Fever of unknown origin

Exclusion criteria

all subjects

• Chronic kidney disease (eGFR <30).
• Admitted to the hospital for major psychiatric illness.
• Major psychiatric illness not controlled by medication/treatment.
• Delirium etiology of drug overdose or alcohol withdrawal.
• Major surgery within the past five days.
• Known or suspected Covid-19 positive.
• Continuous feeding tube