Delirium vs Dementia Flashcards
How is the onset of delirium described?
Acute, often at night
How is the onset of dementia described?
Gradual
How is the course of delirium described?
Fluctuating with lucid intervals during the day
Worse at night
How is the course of dementia described?
Stable over the course of the day
What is the duration of delirium?
Hours to weeks
What is the duration of dementia?
Months to years
How is the alertness of someone with delirium described?
Abnormally high
Or
Abnormally low
How is the alertness of someone with dementia described?
How is the attention of someone with delirium described?
Impaired
Causing distractibility
Diurnal fluctuations
How is the attention of someone with dementia described?
Relatively unaffected
How is a someone’s orientation with delirium affected?
Impaired for a certain amount of time
Tendency to mistake unfamiliar places and people
How is a someone’s orientation with dementia affected?
Impaired in later stages
How is someone’s episodic memory affected with dementia?
Impaired
How is someone’s episodic memory affected with delirium?
Impaired
How is someone’s thinking impaired if they delirium?
Disorganised
Delusional
