conclusions family members are valuable components in the therapeutic process of delirium. effective use of family members in the delirium caring process can be considered to be one of the key non-medical nursing components in the therapeutic process. results two main themes from two different perspectives emerged, 'patients' perspectives' (experiences during icu hospitalization) and 'family me...

BACKGROUND Delirium is common after cardiac surgery and is independently associated with increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospital stays, and higher costs. Cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency is a common cause of neuropsychiatric symptoms and affects up to 40% of elderly people. The relationship between cobalamin deficiency and the occurrence of delirium after cardiac surgery has not be...

BACKGROUND Early identification of patients at risk for delirium is important, since adequate well timed interventions could prevent occurrence of delirium and related detrimental outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate prognostic factors for delirium, including factors describing frailty, in elderly patients undergoing major surgery. METHODS We included patients of 65 years and older,...

Terminal delirium is a common symptom that is frequently underdiagnosed in geriatric patients with cancer at end of life and is a major cause of distress for the patient as well as their family. This article explores the hyperactive and hypoactive delirium subtypes as well as the pathophysiology of terminal delirium and the theory of acetylcholine deficiency and dopamine excess. The causes for ...

RATIONAL Postoperative delirium is a common occurrence in older patients. However, reports of postoperative delirium in middle-aged patients are limited, and the underlying mechanism of delirium in this patient population is not clear. PATIENT CONCERNS A 45-year-old man who developed postoperative delirium on the second day after partial laryngectomy. Interviews of the surgical team, patient,...

Background: Delirium is a geriatric syndrome characterized by acute decline in memory and attention. It is known that hospitalized patients with delirium have higher rates of mortality, morbidity, and loss of independence. The cost of delirium is $100 billion per year. Patients admitted to post-acute care (PAC) with delirium have higher mortality than those with no delirium. This study was limi...

BACKGROUND Delirium is costly, common, and may persist for weeks or months. Therefore, the adverse impact of delirium on loss of independence may occur in the post-acute setting rather than in the hospital. The purpose of this study is to describe the rate of delirium persistence and identify baseline patient characteristics that are associated with delirium persistence at 1 month among newly a...

OBJECTIVE To review delirium screening tools available for use in the adult ICU and PICU, to review evidence-based delirium screening implementation, and to discuss common pitfalls encountered during delirium screening in the ICU. DATA SOURCES Review of delirium screening literature and expert opinion. RESULTS Over the past decade, tools specifically designed for use in critically ill adult...

BACKGROUND Use of anticholinergic (ACH) medications is a biologically plausible and potentially modifiable risk factor of delirium, but research findings are conflicting regarding its association with delirium. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the longitudinal association between use of ACH medications and severity of delirium symptoms and to determine whether this association is modified by the presen...