Delirium Flashcards
1
Q
What is delirium?
A
Disturbance of attention, awareness & cognition (from baseline)
2
Q
What characteristics makes one vulnerable to delirium?
A
- elderly
- visual impairment
- auditory impairment
- polypharmacy
- frailty
- multi-morbidity
3
Q
What precipitates delirium?
A
- severe illness
- drugs
- infection
- surgery
4
Q
Why is it important for delirium to be recognised and treated?
A
Patients with delirium have poorer prognoses than other patients:
- DOUBLE risk of death
- x8 risk of dementia
- increased risk NEW institutionalisation
5
Q
Which medications cause delirium?
A
- opiates
- anticholinergics
- sedatives
- withdrawal
6
Q
What acute illnesses can cause dementia?
A
- infection
- shock
- hypoxia
7
Q
What are the metabolic causes of delirium?
A
- hyponatraemia
- hypercalcaemia
- hyper & hypothyroidism
8
Q
What are the iatrogenic causes of delirium?
A
- surgery
- catheterisation
- sleep deprivation (wards)
- ICU
9
Q
Other physical causes of delirium?
A
- pain (hip fractures)
- urinary retention
- constipation
10
Q
Neurological causes of delirium?
A
- stroke
- infection
- space-occupying lesions
