CAM-ICU
Medical abbreviation · Patient Assessment
| Stands for | Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
CAM-ICU stands for Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit, a patient assessment abbreviation.
Delirium screening tool for ICU patients, including those on ventilators, that looks for an acute change or fluctuating mental status, inattention, altered consciousness and disorganized thinking. Delirium is present when the first two features plus either of the last two are found.
Example: CAM-ICU positive this shift; sleep protocol and early mobility reinforced.
Usage notes
Adapted by E. Wesley Ely and colleagues in 2001 from the original Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) of Sharon Inouye. Inattention is tested by asking the patient to squeeze on the letter A in a spoken series. Delirium in the ICU is linked with longer stays and higher mortality.
Related abbreviations
More patient assessment abbreviations
- BMI – Body mass index
- BP – Blood pressure
- BPS – Behavioral Pain Scale
- BS – Bowel sounds
- BSA – Body surface area
- BUE – Bilateral upper extremities
- CIWA-Ar – Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, revised
- CMS – Circulation, motion, sensation
- COWS – Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
- CPOT – Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool
- CRT – Capillary refill time
- CTA – Clear to auscultation
See all 65 patient assessment abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.