Delirium: issues in diagnosis and management

Delirium is a disturbance of consciousness, cognition and perception that occurs frequently in medically ill patients. Although it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, it is often not recognized and treated by physicians. Literature searches were conducted using MEDLINE with the fol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of African medicine 2009-07, Vol.8 (3), p.139-146
Main Authors: Salawu, F K, Danburam, A, Ogualili, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use
Antipsychotic drugs
Care and treatment
Clinical medicine
Cognitive ability
Delirium
Delirium - classification
Delirium - diagnosis
Delirium - drug therapy
Dementia
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Health aspects
Humans
Mortality
Older people
Prevention
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychotropic drugs
Risk Factors
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Summary:Delirium is a disturbance of consciousness, cognition and perception that occurs frequently in medically ill patients. Although it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, it is often not recognized and treated by physicians. Literature searches were conducted using MEDLINE with the following keywords/ phrases: delirium, acute confusion and management. Additional articles identified by hand-searching in major journals of medicine and psychiatry, and a review of references cited within these sources supplemented the search. In this article, the available published literature regarding the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of delirium is systematically reviewed. Prevention and treatment strategies do not need to be complex or expensive but require well-coordinated interventions from multiple disciplines, including nursing, psychiatry, neurology and primary care, as well as the cooperation and significant effort of family and friends. Atypical antipsychotic agents offer some advantages over haloperidol and in a limited number of studies appear safe and effective for delirium.
ISSN:1596-3519
0975-5764
DOI:10.4103/1596-3519.57235