Agitated Delirium: Causes & Reasons

Warning: Do not use in emergencies, if pregnant, if under 18, or as a substitute for a doctor’s advice or diagnosis. Learn more

Possible Causes for Agitated Delirium

Acute Amphetamine Intoxication

Tachycardia Diaphoresis Mydriasis Severe intoxication characterized by: Tachycardia HTN Hyperthermia Agitated delirium Seizures Diaphoresis Hypotension and respiratory distress [emergency.unboundmedicine.com]

Patients with evidence of end-organ damage, focal neurological deficits, arrhythmias, delirium, or uncontrolled agitation should be admitted for observation. [clinicaladvisor.com]

Delirium Hyperactivity Tremors Dizziness Mydriasis Headache Choreoathetoid movements Hyperreflexia Cerebrovascular accident Seizures and status epilepticus Coma Psychiatric [emergency.unboundmedicine.com]

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

A significant number of patients with terminal cancer experience terminal restlessness or an agitated delirium in the final days of life. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Low-risk patients with no history of agitated delirium or risk factors receive lorazepam PRN triggered by CIWA scores. [todayshospitalist.com]

Symptoms typical of withdrawal include agitation, delirium tremens (DTs), and seizures. [dbpedia.org]

Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium

Uncomplicated Withdrawal Shakes Sweating Nausea/Vomiting Mood disturbance Hyperacusis Autonomic symptoms Agitation Delirium Tremens (DTs) Delirium tremens is a delirium specifically [medrevise.co.uk]

Symptoms typical of withdrawal include agitation, delirium tremens (DTs), and seizures. [dbpedia.org]

Symptoms of DT include: Severe agitation Delirium, a condition characterized by confusion with a fluctuating level of consciousness and inattention Tremor Disorientation Persistent [everydayhealth.com]

Salicylate Poisoning

Delirium Disorientation Respiratory acidosis Hallucinations Stupor Coma Cardiovascular system collapse Hyperthermia is an indication of severe toxicity, especially in young [nursingcrib.com]

As toxicity progresses, agitation, delirium, hallucinations, convulsions, lethargy, and stupor may occur. [emedicine.medscape.com]

[…] vomiting Tinnitus Diaphoresis or sweating Other Early Sypmtoms Tachycardia Vertigo Hyperventilation Hyperactivity Symptoms occurring as the toxicity or poisoning progresses: Agitation [nursingcrib.com]

Drug-Induced Delirium

Medications that are often used to treat agitated delirium include haloperidol, thioridazine and risperidone. [minddisorders.com]

The main signs of delirium are sudden changes in consciousness or state of arousal, such as feeling drowsy or agitated. [cancer.net]

Stage #1: Delirium & Psychomotor Agitation The first stage of excited delirium is that of delirium with psychomotor agitation. [mentalhealthdaily.com]

Apathetic Thyrotoxicosis with Thyrotoxic Crisis

Confusion, agitation, delirium, frank psychosis, seizures, stupor or coma Certain unusual presentations include chest pain, acute abdomen, status epilepticus, stroke, acute [emedicine.medscape.com]

[…] or delirium to extreme lethargy or coma, and, rarely, seizures. [clinicaladvisor.com]

Moderate (delirium, psychosis, extreme lethargy Severe (seizures, coma) 0 10 20 30 肝膽腸胃 dysfunction Absent Moderate (diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain) Severe (unexplained [hungchangchen.blogspot.com]

Anticholinergic Toxicity

delirium (don't give elderly anticholinergics) Bloated as a toad constipation, urinary retention Tachycardia b/c of loss of PNS vagal input to heart reversal of atropine [memorize.com]

The characteristic feature of toxicity at central receptors is agitated delirium. [rch.org.au]

The most common indication for physostigmine is to control agitated delirium. [emedicine.medscape.com]

Thyrotoxic Crisis

Confusion, agitation, delirium, psychosis, seizures or coma. [patient.info]

Precise criteria for thyroid storm have been defined and include fever, tachycardia, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, hypotension, hyperpyrexia, agitation, delirium, [shifrinmd.com]

Delirium or psychosis Jaundice Abdominal pain Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea Profuse sweating Dehydration Tremor Coma Central Features: Thyrotoxicosis Abnormal CNS function [physio-pedia.com]

Metabolic Encephalopathy

delirium, to deep coma with decerebrate posturing. [medlink.com]

The individual findings that cause a clinician to refer to a person as having encephalopathy include intellectual disability, irritability, agitation, delirium, confusion, [en.wikipedia.org]

The condition is most commonly seen in older individuals There are 3 types of Delirium: Hyperactive Delirium, which is characterized by restlessness, agitation, rapid mood [dovemed.com]

Barbiturate Withdrawal

Benzodiazepines occasionally fail to control alcohol withdrawal, and may promote agitated delirium. [emcrit.org]

Elderly patients must be carefully monitored for confusion, agitation, delirium, and excitement if they take barbiturates. [minddisorders.com]

In higher doses, unpleasant CNS effects of agitation, anxiety, hallucinations, delirium, psychosis, and seizures can occur. [medical.tpub.com]

Reye Syndrome

delirium, or anger. [healthychildren.org]

delirium * Screaming * Drug reaction-like behavior * Extensor spasms * Decerebrate rigidity * Aspirin poisoning-like symptoms * Coma * Vomiting, think Reye's * Emergency [reyessyndrome.org]

[…] abruptly starts to vomit repeatedly and frequently every one or two hours over a twenty-four to thirty-six-hour period, becoming lethargic or sleepy, which then turns into agitation [healthychildren.org]

Datura Stramonium Poisoning

Repeated neurological examination revealed a gradual improvement of her state of consciousness with disappearance of tachycardia, mydriasis, delirium, and agitation. [intjem.springeropen.com]

[…] and delirium Atropine's anti muscarinic effects can be counteracted by increasing the concentration of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft increased acetylcholine concentrations [usmle1-topscorer.blogspot.com]

Jimson weed intoxication should be considered in cases of patients presenting with unexplained peripheral and central anticholinergic symptoms including delirium, agitation [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Acute Hepatic Porphyria

delirium, psychosis, ileus that prevents oral intake, or hyponatremia, intravenous administration of hemin is recommended.[10][11] This recommendation is based on the high [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

[…] enough to require hospitalization, opioid analgesia, or other intravenous medication, or that is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, motor neuropathy, paresis, seizures, agitation [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Hyoscyamus Niger Poisoning

[…] reversing delirium. [panafrican-med-journal.com]

agitation and combative behaviour. [jeremybartlett.co.uk]

delirium, seizures, coma, respiratory failure or cardiovascular collapse. [panafrican-med-journal.com]

Phencyclidine Intoxication

delirium. 2 Hyperthermia, agitation, seizures, and muscle rigidity may lead to rhabdomyolysis and renal failure. 2 Serotonin syndrome can complicate the presentation. 2 Approximately [consultant360.com]

These include agitation, confusion, delirium, and delirium. [theravive.com]

Adverse effects include tachycardia, hypertension, agitation, delirium, at least one death has been attributed to a 2C-E overdose. [wikivisually.com]

Encephalopathy

delirium, to deep coma with decerebrate posturing. [medlink.com]

delirium to deep coma with decerebrate posturing. [medlink.com]

The individual findings that cause a clinician to refer to a person as having encephalopathy include intellectual disability, irritability, agitation, delirium, confusion, [en.wikipedia.org]

Drug-Induced Dementia

Antianxiety drugs (Benzodiazepines) Why they are prescribed: Benzodiazepines are used to treat a variety of anxiety disorders, agitation, delirium and muscle spasms, and to [aarp.org]

Patients on benzodiazepines are at greater risk for developing delirium while hospitalized, and when benzodiazepines are used to treat agitation associated with delirium from [worstpills.org]

[…] and delirium. [aafp.org]

Delta Aminolevulinate Dehydrase Deficiency

delirium, psychosis, ileus that prevents oral intake, or hyponatremia, intravenous administration of hemin is recommended.[10][11] This recommendation is based on the high [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Crack Ingestion

[…] if refractory to sedation: verapamil 5mg IV, or adenosine 6-12 mg IV Electrical cardioversion if unstable Seizures and agitated delirium 5 mg diazepam IV q2-5min until seizures [lifeinthefastlane.com]

delirium, psychosis, muscle rigidity, or hyperactivity Seizures usually brief and self-limited Coma resulting from intracranial hemorrhage, post-ictal state, or hyperthermia [calsprogram.org]

Cocaine excited delirium Apart from the effects of cocaine described above, an important but unusual complication of cocaine use, termed agitated delirium or excited delirium [academic.oup.com]

Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

Vigilance for agitation or delirium with sedative-hypnotic withdrawal is necessary. Vigilance to detect oversedation and respiratory depression is necessary. [unboundmedicine.com]

Seizures, fever, severe confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and delirium may signify DTs, which can be fatal without swift medical intervention. [americanaddictioncenters.org]

Anorexia Anxiety and panic attacks Catatonia Confusion Delirium tremens Depersonalization Depression Derealization (change in the perception or experience of the external [projectknow.com]

Organic Brain Syndrome

As delirium improved, various other psychiatric symptoms, including hallucinations, agitation, hypoactivity, affective lability and insomnia, were noted. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Drugs Delirium: withdrawal of toxic agents (alcohol, barbiturates) and IV sedation with antianxiety agents for agitation, seizure activity, and tremors Dementia: treatment [medi-info.com]

In general, organic brain syndromes cause varying extent of confusion, delirium (severe, short term losses of brain function), agitation, and dementia (long-term, often progressive [psychnet-uk.com]

Lithium Toxicity

Symptoms of moderate intoxication are confusion, agitation, delirium, tachycardia, occaisional heart blocks, and hypertonia. [calpoison.org]

Moderate intoxication: confusion, agitation, delirium, tachycardia, and hypertonia (serum lithium concentration between 2.5-3.5 mEq/L)[33] [34]. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Patients will also exhibit alterations in the level of consciousness, which may vary from confusion to agitation, delirium, and coma. [calpoison.org]

Postictal State

When agitated delirium is clearly due to recurring seizures, seizures and agitation can be treated with one or two 1-mg doses of lorazepam (oral or intravenous); however, [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Medical and emergency staff require careful training to manage behaviors associated with postictal delirium and psychosis in order to protect patients while their confusion [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Evaluation of delirium Acute and agitated diffuse loss of cognitive function (delirium) is almost always a reflection of toxic, metabolic or infectious disorder. [dartmouth.edu]

Amphetamine Delusional Disorder

Symptoms of delirium tremens include: Agitation/excitement Irritability Confusion/disorientation Delirium Sudden mood changes Fatigue or stupor Restlessness Body tremors Changes [americanaddictioncenters.org]

This condition manifests as a combination of delirium, psychomotor agitation, anxiety, delusions, hallucinations, speech disturbances, disorientation, violent and bizarre [ipfs.io]

[…] behavior, insensitivity to pain, elevated body temperature, and hysterical strength. [27] Despite some superficial similarities in presentation excited delirium is a distinct [en.wikipedia.org]

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome

delirium, and may progress to lethargy or unresponsiveness (reflecting encephalopathy). [msdmanuals.com]

[…] symptoms usually develop over a few days and often in the following order: Altered mental status: Usually the earliest manifestation is a change in mental status, often an agitated [msdmanuals.com]

Atropa Belladonna

Benzodiazepines are frequently used for sedation to control anticholinergic effects including delirium and agitation [ 2 ]. [drugbank.ca]

Central nervous effect are ataxia, disorientation, short-term memory loss, confusion, hallucinations, psychosis, agitated delirium, seizures, coma, respiratory failure or [flipper.diff.org]

[…] reversing delirium. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Hypoglycemic Encephalopathy

The individual findings that cause a clinician to refer to a person as having encephalopathy include intellectual disability, irritability, agitation, delirium, confusion, [en.wikipedia.org]

Evaluation of delirium Acute and agitated diffuse loss of cognitive function (delirium) is almost always a reflection of toxic, metabolic or infectious disorder. [dartmouth.edu]

Delirium and dementia Case #2 A 60-year-old woman in an agitated, confused state was brought to the hospital by her husband. [dartmouth.edu]

Toxic Encephalopathy

delirium, to deep coma with decerebrate posturing. [medlink.com]

[…] liver malfunction)/hyporeflexia (thyroid derrangement) T/F: Dementia is a major risk factor for delirium. [quizlet.com]

Evaluation of delirium Acute and agitated diffuse loss of cognitive function (delirium) is almost always a reflection of toxic, metabolic or infectious disorder. [dartmouth.edu]

Anticholinergic

The characteristic feature of toxicity at central receptors is agitated delirium. [rch.org.au]

The patients were violently agitated, and physical restraint was required. Initial treatment with benzodiazepines did not diminish their combative behavior. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Two weeks later patient suddenly developed delirium, characterized by nocturnal agitation, severe insomnia, daytime sedation, confusion, hallucinations and persecutory delusions [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Hyperpyrexia

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome; rare, life-threatening hyperpyrexia caused by antidopaminergic drugs (mostly antipsychotics) Irreversible MAOIs: agitation, delirium, coma, [diki.pl]