Key facts

Question 1

Depression

Answer 1

affects 15% of people >65

can mimic or complicate any other illness, inc.

• delirium (acute brain syndrome)
• dementia

Elderly patients with depression are at a high risk of suicide.

Always consider the 4Ds:

1. –dementia
2. –delirium (look for cause)
3. –depression (maybe ‘pseudodementia’ in elderly)
4. –drugs

• toxicity
• withdrawal

Question 2

Hallucination guidelines:

Answer 2

–Auditory: psychoses, e.g. schizophrenia

–Visual: almost always organic disorder, illict drugs

–Olfactory: temporal lobe epilepsy

–Tactile: cocaine abuse, alcohol withdrawal