Construction and Validation of a Care Protocol for Critical Patients with Cancer in Delirium

Abstract

Introduction: The frequency of delirium in oncology intensive care units is high. Objective: To build a care protocol for cancer patients with delirium admitted to an intensive care unit and investigate its face and content validity. Method: Descriptive study conducted in 2016 in a high complexity care center in oncology located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A committee formed by 43 judges assessed the face and content validity of the protocol that was built from the recommendations contained in the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Pain, Agitation, and Delirium. The content validity index and the proportions of pertinence and compliance of each item of the protocol were calculated. Results: All 19 items had a content validity index >0.80 and proportions of compliance greater than 95%. The relevance ratio of each item ranged from 86% to 100%. Conclusion: The protocol presented adequate face and content validity, being promising for the management of delirium in cancer patients admitted to an intensive care unit.