Delirium Flashcards
0
Q
onset and duration of delirium
A
onset: sudden, within hours or a few days
duration: hours - less than one month
1
Q
what is delirium
A
a serious disturbance in a person’s mental abilities that results in a decreased awareness of one’s environment and confused thinking
2
Q
symptoms
A
- fluctuations in cognition, mood, attention, arousal, or self-awareness
- hallucinations
- incoherent speech
- disturbed sleep/wake cycle
- disorientation
- behaviour changes
3
Q
causes
A
- occurs when normal sending and receiving signals in the brain becomes impaired
- common causes are dehydration, infections, medications, illnesses, surgery or drug/alcohol abuse
4
Q
treatment
A
- determine causative factors
- assess cognition regularly
- medication profile
- environmental modification
