psychosis + confusion Flashcards
classic characteristics of psychosis
hallucinations
delusions
disorder of form of thought
lack of insight
primary vs secondary delusions
Primary = arrive fully formed in the consciousness without need for explanation
Secondary = are often attempts to explain anomalous experiences – hallucinations, passivity experiences, depression
thought interferences
Clanging + punning – ding dong bell, go to hell
Loosening of associations
Knight’s move thinking – came here in dads car, he’s got a blue car, the sea is blue
Neologisms
Tangentiality
Word salad/verbigeration
thought insertion
there are thoughts being put into my head that don’t belong to me – I haven’t thought them
thought withdrawal
= they can extract the information from me using the internet, they take my thoughts out of my head
thought broadcasting
it’s like everyone can know what I am thinking – my sky dish is beaming
thought blocking
it’s like I get halfway through thinking something + the thoughts jut dry up and I cant think of anything for a while
what do 3rd person auditory hallucinations suggest?
schizophrenia
(depression sometimes 2nd person hallucinations but never 3rd)
management of psychosis
1 - 4-6weeks trial of atypical
2 - 4-6weeks trial of second atypical or typical
3 - 6month trial of clozapine titrated up to 900mh/day (best efficacy but super bad side effects)
4 - adjuvant medication/ECT (in addition to clozapine)
drug induced psychosis
May be acute symptoms or more insidious + chronic
o Tend to be short is access to psychoactive substance is removed
Not the same as intoxication + withdrawal effects
Beware of comorbidity with schizophrenia + bipolar disorder
depressive psychosis
Characterised by mood congruent content of psychotic symptoms
Delusions - worthlessness/guilt/hypochondriasis/poverty
Hallucination - accusing/insulting/threatening voices
o Typically 2nd person
mania with psychosis
Delusions – grandeur, special ability, persecution, religiosity
Hallucinations – tend to be 2nd person + auditory
- hearing God’s voice telling you you’re great
Flight of ideas
delirium
Acute transient confusion state – last from hrs to weeks
Assoc with physical insult or injury or environmental factors
Rapid in onset, 1-2days from precipitating insult
Duration varies but often continues beyond resolution of original insult – often by weeks or months
Medical emergency
o 35-40% patients die within one year
o Barriers to treatment – too agitated for IV lines etc
types of delirium
hypoactive - quiet, confused drowsy, fearful patient
hyperactive - driven, wandering, agitated, shouting out, aggressive
mixed - some periods of both of above
risk factors for delirium
older age
previous history of delirium
underlying cognitive deficits
delirium presentation
Clouding of consciousness
o Subtle drowsiness to unresponsiveness
o Disorientation in time, place + person
o Fluctuating severity over time – lucid intervals
o Worse at night
Impaired concentration/memory, especially for new information
Visual hallucinations/illusions +/- auditory – often threatening
Persecutory delusions
Agitation OR retardation
Insomnia