CAM
Pronunciation: kam
Also written as: CAM — Confusion Assessment Method
Abbreviation for the Confusion Assessment Method, a validated delirium screening tool used in geriatric rehabilitation and other inpatient settings.
Full Definition
CAM is the standard abbreviation for the Confusion Assessment Method, the most widely used delirium screening instrument in geriatric and general hospital settings. Editors must be alert to the fact that 'CAM' is also used in healthcare as an abbreviation for 'complementary and alternative medicine'; context must be used to determine the correct expansion. In geriatric rehabilitation documentation, CAM almost always refers to the delirium screening tool. The ICU variant, CAM-ICU, should never be abbreviated to CAM alone.
Usage
Usage note: Always define on first use. Be especially vigilant in documents where 'complementary and alternative medicine' is also discussed, as the same abbreviation applies.
In Context
- "The CAM was administered at admission and repeated daily throughout the patient's inpatient stay." — Geriatric medicine admission protocol
- "A positive CAM result prompted an urgent review for precipitating causes of delirium." — Medical progress note