BACKGROUND Delirium is often seen in the recovery room and is a predictor for postoperative delirium on the ward. However, monitoring to detect delirium in the recovery room as a basic prerequisite for early intervention is rarely used. The aim of this study was to identify a valid and easy-to-use test for early screening of delirium in the recovery room. METHODS One hundred and fifty-four ad...

Delirium is not only one of the most common complications that older patients develop after admission to hospital but it is also one of the most serious. Although stroke is a known predisposing factor for delirium, few studies have investigated this association and results from existing studies give conflicting results with prevalence estimates ranging from 13 to 48%. The aetiology of delirium ...

INTRODUCTION Post-cardiac surgery delirium is a severe complication. The circadian rhythm of melatonin secretion has been shown to be altered postoperatively. AIM OF THE STUDY It was hypothesized that restoring normal sleeping patterns with a substance that is capable of resynchronizing circadian rhythm such as exogenous administration of melatonin may possibly reduce the incidence of postope...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES delirium is a distressing but potentially preventable condition common in older people in long-term care. It is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, functional decline, hospitalization and significant healthcare costs. Multicomponent interventions, addressing delirium risk factors, have been shown to reduce delirium by one-third in hospitals. It is not known...

Aim: To examine the phenomenological characteristics of delirium and its motoric subtypes in patients with cancer based on the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) items. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of our delirium database. Sociodemographic as well as medical variables, the MDAS subitems (1-10) and the Karnofsky Performance Status scale (KPS) were analyzed in respect to the...

BACKGROUND Delirium is an independent predictor of increased length of stay, mortality, and treatment costs in critical care patients. Its incidence may be underestimated or overestimated if delirium is assessed by using subjective clinical impression alone rather than an objective instrument. OBJECTIVES To determine frequency of discrepancies between subjective and objective delirium monitor...

OBJECTIVE The role of a deficiency of vitamin B1 in the development of alcoholic complaints is confined to the case of the Wernicke-Korsakov syndrome. Findings concerning a deficiency of thiamine in alcoholics in comparison with normal persons are contradictory and there are no differentiated tests in the case of delirium tremens. In this study the vitamin B1 absorption in patients with deliriu...

BACKGROUND Delirium is common in older hospitalized patients, and is associated with negative consequences for the patients, next of kin, healthcare professionals and healthcare costs. It is important to understand its clinical features, as almost 40% of all cases in hospitals may be preventable. Yet, delirium in hospitalized patients is often unrecognized and untreated. Few studies describe th...

Delirium is a change in mental status characterized by a reduced awareness of the environment and a disturbance in attention. Pathogenesis: The underlying mechanisms contributing to delirium are poorly understood. Risk factors for delirium The following are risk factors which are associated with an increased risk of delirium: Age ≥65 years. Male sex. Pre-existing cognitive deficit, e.g. dementi...

Delirium is a common, but an often underdiagnosed complication in the elderly following major surgery. Recognising delirium in early stages and diagnosing the condition based on established criteria can improve the outcome and management. Managing delirium with environmental, supportive and pharmacological interventions will possibly reduce the incidence and side-effects associated with post-op...