Dementia and Delirium Flashcards
Dementia characteristics? 3
And at least one in the following? 3
- Slow onset over years
- Symptoms do not rapidly fluctuate
- Memory impairment
At least one of the following
- Aphasia: unable to understand or express speech
- Apraxia: inability to perform required movements
- Agnosia: cannot recognize an object
Characteristics of Delirium? 3
May also have what? 4
Delirium
- Disturbance in consciousness with reduced ability to focus, to sustain focus, or shift attention
- Change in cognition
- Disturbance in consciousness that develops over a short period of time and fluctuates
May also have
- Disturbance in sleep – wake cycle
- Disturbance in psychomotor behavior
- Emotional disturbance
- Rapid unpredictable shifts from one emotional state to another
Clinical Features of Delirium
- Changes occur how?
- Can last how long?
- What is an early finding?
- What is it due to?
- Reversible?
- Acute changes
- Last days to weeks, but rarely months
- Disorientation early
- Prominent physiological changes due to underlying cause
- Usually completely reversible
Delirium
Initial Diagnostic Workup: History
Causes to ask about?
9
- underlying psychiatric disorder
- history of serious brain trauma or disease
- cancer
- infection
- decreased cardiac output
- dehydration,
- acute blood loss,
- MI,
- CHF
Delirium Risk Factors
5
- Dietary difficulties -Poor nutrition
- In hospital
- Dementia
- Family history of mental illness
- Acute stress- loss spouse or change in environment
Delirium Initial Diagnostic Workup: Physical and Lab
5
- Vitals
- Changes due to underlying diseases
- Rule out stroke
- Blood and urine tests- check kidney and liver function
- Radiology
Initial Interventions for Changes in Mental Status: Delirium
5
- Recognize and treat underlying cause
- Reduce stimuli
- Simple, clear language
- Reassurance for person and family
- Be aware of increased risk for mortality
Initial Interventions for Changes in Mental Status: Dementia
6
- Testing to ensure diagnosis
- Discuss long term care plans
- Discuss advance directives
- Refer to Alzheimer’s Association
- Be present
- Slow down
What tests will help us ensure a diagnosis of Dementia?
3
- Neuropsych testing,
- mental status assessment,
- neurological exam
Dementia
- What kind of disorder?
- Significant cognitive decline that is characterized how?
- Neurocognitive disorder
2. Interferes with daily living
Alzheimer’s Disease == AD
1. PP?
2.___ % of all dementias
Why are 2/3 of alzheimer’s pts women? 2
- Progressive accumulation of protein fragment beta-amyloid (plaques) outside neurons and twisted strands of the protein tau (tangles) inside neurons which damage and kill brain cells
- 60
- Women live longer
- Association between gene APOE-e4 and estrogen
Prognosis of AD?
Fatal and cannot be slowed down or cured
What are the three stages of AD?
- Preclinical
- MCI due to AD
- Dementia due to AD
Describe the followign stages of AD?
- measurable changes in brain and may be present 20 years before Sx
- mild but measurable changes in thinking abilities that are noticeable but do not affect daily activities
- quite noticeable memory, thinking, and behavioral symptoms that impair ability to function in daily life with a steady gradual progression over 10 – 15 years
Mild (early stage) AD
What are some behaviors that might indicate this stage? 6
- Problem coming up with a right word or name
- Trouble remembering names when introduced to new people
- Having greater difficulty performing tasks in social or work settings
- Forgetting material that one has just read
- Losing or misplacing a valuable object
- Increasing trouble with planning or organizing