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Delirium (formerly acute confusional state, an ambiguous term that is now discouraged) [1] is a specific state of acute confusion attributable to the direct physiological consequence of a medical condition, effects of a psychoactive substance, or multiple causes, which usually develops over the course of hours to days.
The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) is a diagnostic tool developed to allow physicians and nurses to identify delirium in the healthcare setting. [1] It was designed to be brief (less than 5 minutes to perform) and based on criteria from the third edition-revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) .
Prolonged unconsciousness is understood to be a sign of a medical emergency. [3] A deficit in the level of consciousness suggests that both of the cerebral hemispheres or the reticular activating system have been injured. [4] A decreased level of consciousness correlates to increased morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death). [5]
In medicine, confusion is the quality or state of being bewildered or unclear. The term "acute mental confusion" [ 1 ] is often used interchangeably with delirium [ 2 ] in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems and the Medical Subject Headings publications to describe the pathology .
This can cause complications if patients are confined to a hospital and may lead to agitation, distress and anxiety. [10] Many patients report feeling as though they were being "held prisoner" and being prevented from carrying on with their daily lives. [10] Other symptoms include agitation, confusion, disorientation, and restlessness. [11]
Fred Kobylarz, MD, is co-director of the Center for Healthy Aging at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. ‘Sundowning’ is a term that refers to behavior changes in people with dementia ...
Disorientation has a variety of causes, physiological and mental in nature. Physiological disorientation is frequently caused by an underlying or acute condition. Disease or injury that impairs the delivery of essential nutrients such as glucose, oxygen, fluids, or electrolytes can impair homeostasis, and therefore neurological function causing ...
Confusional arousals are accompanied by mental confusion and disorientation, relative lack of response to environmental stimuli, and difficulty of awakening the subject. [3] [4] [5] Vocalisation accompanied with coherent speech is common. [3] Patients may appear upset, and some of them become aggressive or agitated. [4]