Somatic causes of delirium in elderly patients
Journal Title: Postępy Nauk Medycznych - Year 2011, Vol 24, Issue 8
Abstract
Delirium is defined as transient brain dysfunction characterized by altered level of consciousness, impaired attention and cognitive functions as well as fluctuating course. Etiology of delirium is multifactorial, clinical picture diverse and pathophysiology includes unstable brain homeostasis and cholinergic deficit. Delirium is a frequent disorder among elderly patients hospitalized due to somatic disorders and diseases requiring surgery, especially orthopedic treatment. Besides age, cognitive impairment in dementia is an important risk factor for development of delirium, but it is worth to notice that delirium overlapping with dementia is often caused by somatic disorders triggering altered mental status in vulnerable individuals. Delirium is often underdiagnosed, especially in cases with low severity and hypoactive presentation. Unrecognized and untreated delirium results in increased morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospital stay and augmented cost of treatment as well as provides risk for further life-threatening complications. The most frequent somatic causes of delirium include dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, particularly hyponatremia, disease states associated with hypoxia and renal failure. Drug adverse events and interactions play a major role in development of delirium, especially in individuals with multiple diseases and malnutrition. Laboratory tests and imaging assessing functional status of organ systems are useful in differential diagnosis of delirium and facilitate recognition of disease states requiring immediate treatment. Medical staff of conservative as well as surgical departments should be educated to diagnose and monitor delirium. Introduction of geriatric care standards including prevention and treatment of delirium could improve the quality of care for the elderly patients.
Authors and Affiliations
Katarzyna Broczek
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP54253
- DOI -
- Views 151
- Downloads 0
Principles of geriatric pharmacotherapy
Geriatrics is a part of medicine inherently linked to polysymptomathology and polypharmacology, and a rational attempt at pharmacology of the elderly is among the most important aspects of medical care. Awareness of the...
Behavioral management of pain in children and adolescents
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the behavioral techniques of pain management used in clinical practice in children and adolescents and to review the results of studies aimed at assessing their effectiveness. The...
Consequence of autonomic nervous system disturbances in symptomatology and pathogenesis of the seizures
Patients who suffer from epilepsy are group of people with ten times higher risk of sudden unexpected death to compare with healthy people.Pathophysiological mechanisms related to this event are unknown. Disturbances of...
Platelets estimation after cryopreservation
Introduction. Platelet concentrates are essential for treating bleedings in patients with thrombocytopenia in order to prevent spontaneous hemorrhage. Platelets are also needed during invasive medical procedures. Storing...
Leczenie złamań końca dalszego kości promieniowej u osób w wieku podeszłym
Złamania dalszego końca kości promieniowej stanowią około 30% wszystkich złamań u pacjentów powyżej 50 roku życia. Pierwszorzędowym celem leczenia tych złamań jest zachowanie funkcji ręki i przedramienia. Agresywność lec...