Delirium

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Revision as of 13:51, 7 January 2009 by imported>Robert Badgett (Started 'Diagnosis')
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In medicine, delirium is a "disorder characterized by confusion; inattentiveness; disorientation; illusions; hallucinations; agitation; and in some instances autonomic nervous system overactivity )."[1][2]

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, delirium is "reduced ability to think or concentrate, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, drowsiness, hypersensitivity to stimuli, nightmares."[3]

Subsyndromal delirium

Subsyndromal delirium may cause morbidity among hospitalized individuals.[3]

Diagnosis

The confusion assessment method (CAM), which is an algorithm with nine criteria based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders can help diagnose.[4]

Treatment

Antipsychotic agents can improve deliriuim.[5]

Benzodiazepams may worsen delirium.[6]

References

  1. Anonymous (2024), Delirium (English). Medical Subject Headings. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  2. Breitbart, William; Yesne Alici (2008-12-24). "Agitation and Delirium at the End of Life: "We Couldn't Manage Him"". JAMA 300 (24): 2898-2910. DOI:10.1001/jama.2008.885. Retrieved on 2009-01-07. Research Blogging.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Cole M, McCusker J, Dendukuri N, Han L (June 2003). "The prognostic significance of subsyndromal delirium in elderly medical inpatients". J Am Geriatr Soc 51 (6): 754–60. PMID 12757560[e]
  4. Inouye SK, van Dyck CH, Alessi CA, Balkin S, Siegal AP, Horwitz RI (December 1990). "Clarifying confusion: the confusion assessment method. A new method for detection of delirium". Ann. Intern. Med. 113 (12): 941–8. PMID 2240918[e]
  5. Lonergan E, Britton AM, Luxenberg J, Wyller T (2007). "Antipsychotics for delirium". Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2): CD005594. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD005594.pub2. PMID 17443602. Research Blogging.
  6. Breitbart W, Marotta R, Platt MM, et al (February 1996). "A double-blind trial of haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and lorazepam in the treatment of delirium in hospitalized AIDS patients". Am J Psychiatry 153 (2): 231–7. PMID 8561204[e]