Delirium
Delirium is an abrupt change in the brain that causes mental confusion and emotional disruption. It makes it difficult to think, remember, sleep, pay attention, and more. You might experience delirium during alcohol withdrawal, after surgery, or with dementia.
Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: W052
Diagnosis: Delerium
US Patients: 1-2%, more with age
World Patients:
Sex Ratio:
Age Onset: most after 65
Brain Area: imbalance in dopamine and serotonin
Symptoms: confusion for hours or days, disorientation, disorganized thinking, uncontrolled muscles
Progression:
Causes: drug withdrawal, too much alcohol, prior dementia, sepsis-illness
Medications: haliperidol and other antipsychotics; 60% death rate in hospitalized elders with delerium, increases dementia X13.
Therapies: Maximize oxygen, hydration, feeding, pain control, control of other factors affecting the brain
YouTube Video: Understanding Delirium
Amazon or Library Book: Delirium
Delirium: Screening, Prevention, and Diagnosis – A Systematic Review of the Evidence
Click the book to link or order from Amazon.
Click the book to link or order from Amazon.
4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED
The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis
Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.
- A Comparison of the Effect of Two Doses of Oral Melatonin as Premedication on Orientation Score, Induction Compliance, and Emergency Agitation of Children Undergoing Elective Surgeries: A Double-Blinded Randomized Trialby Haider Muhy Al Bareh on March 24, 2025
Background: Following sedation or general anesthesia, emergent agitation (EA) presents as a sequence of abrupt, complicated psychomotor problems marked by perceptual abnormalities, delusions, and disorientation. Studies have proved that melatonin significantly decreases the incidence of postoperative agitation in children after anesthesia. The primary objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two doses of oral melatonin as a premedication for orientation score, induction...
- Does telehealth delivery of an occupational therapy home visiting service provide a non-inferior alternative to in-person delivery of the same service? A matched cohort studyby Rachel Lommerzheim on March 22, 2025
CONCLUSION: Telehealth delivery of occupational therapy home visiting services reduced therapy time and did not increase incidences of adverse events. However, telehealth delivery of services is not appropriate for all patients, and hybrid models of care must be considered.
- Spinal Anesthesia and Digital Anxiolysis (SPIDA) for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis - a feasibility studyby Anton Früh on March 22, 2025
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a prevalent condition, particularly in elderly patients, characterized by a clinical syndrome that includes buttock or lower extremity pain, commonly associated with sensory and motor dysfunction. The surgical management of these patients is challenging due to higher rates of comorbidities and increased risks of experiencing complications such as postoperative delirium, leading to intensive care and prolonged hospital stays. Awake surgery under spinal anaesthesia...
- Remimazolam vs. propofol for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of emergence agitation risk in surgical populationsby Jian-Li Song on March 22, 2025
CONCLUSION: The use of remimazolam for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia does not lead to a higher occurrence of EA in adult patients undergoing surgery, relative to propofol. However, in patients with ASA III-IV, remimazolam may be linked to a greater risk of POD than propofol.