We found ED length of stay is significantly associated with development of incident delirium in older adults who are pending transfer to an inpatient bed. Since delirium is harmful, preventable, and costly to healthcare systems, older adults should have priority for transfer from the ED to an inpatient unit.

Dr. Elder is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Vermont. She recently completed a geriatric emergency medicine fellowship under the leadership of Dr. Katren Tyler at the University of California Davis. Prior to that, she served as a chief resident at The Ohio State University emergency medicine residency. Her interests include geriatric emergency medicine and pain management. Outside of her clinical responsibilities, Dr. Elder enjoys completing jigsaw puzzles and spending time with her geriatric cats Shoshanna, Marcel, and Lucky.