Presentation
May present as unexpected, inexplicable coma; a badly cut patient may be confused by the doctor with acci dent or assault. [books.google.com]
The present case report is a typical example of drug-induced delirium. [lawarencepress.com]
An 80-year-old man with Alzheimer's dementia presented with wandering, depressed mood with crying, somatic worries, anedonism and suicide recurrent ideas. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Frail older patients may present with delirium triggered by many medical or surgical problems ( see box ), often more than one at a time, so delirium presents a diagnostic challenge. [nps.org.au]
Entire Body System
- Weakness
Unfortunately, with all of the stress she went through during the past three months, she became very weak. She is now back in a rehab center. About a week ago, she was so frail that my Mom could not swallow her saliva. [agingcare.com]
The TCAs with the greatest anticholinergic properties are the ones most strongly linked to cognitive impairment, but even TCAs with weak anticholinergic effects can cause problems with thinking, possibly via other mechanisms. [worstpills.org]
[…] receptors. 23 Digoxin, in addition to muscarinic antagonist activity, also inhibits membrane Na+K+ATPase, which can cause profound disruption of neuronal activity. 24 Quinolone antibiotics are NMDA receptor agonists, GABA-A receptor antagonists, and have weak [pmj.bmj.com]
- Nightmare
This family includes the diet drugs such as sibutramine (MERIDIA) and phentermine (IONAMIN) bizarre behavior, hallucinations, paranoia, agitation, anxiety, mania, nightmares Usually with overdose or abuse; can occur with asthma inhaler abuse; depression [fqvictims.org]
Additionally, someone dealing with delirium may experience concentration problems, restlessness, irritability or behavioral outbursts, increased sensitivity to light or sound, insomnia, and severe nightmares. [alcoholanddrugsrehab.com]
Ciprofloxacin induced nightmares in an adult patient. Indian J Psychiatry 2008; 50:305-306. [ PUBMED ] 22. Mandell L, Tillotson G. Safety of fluoroquinolones: an update. Can J Infect Dis 2002; 13:54-61. [ PUBMED ] 23. [asja.eg.net]
- Anemia
This may involve one or more of the following: blood tests to detect anemia; abnormal blood sugar; nutritional deficiency; imbalance in blood levels of sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes; or disturbance of thyroid, liver, or kidney function urine [health.harvard.edu]
[…] by a defect in cognate functions with global impairment and a ↓ clarity of awareness of the environment, which may progress or regress Etiology May be multifactorial–eg, due to toxins; substance abuse; acute psychosis, medication–eg anticholinergics; anemia [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]
- Antipsychotic Agent
Delirium may lead to dementia. interventions Intervention centers around removal or withdrawal from toxic agents (alcohol and barbiturates) and IV sedation with antianxiety and antipsychotic agents for agitation, seizure activity, and tremors. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]
Eyes
- Blurred Vision
Adverse effects of these drugs include dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating, confusion, worsening of glaucoma, blurred vision, and short term memory problems. [fqvictims.org]
Tricyclic antidepressants have a number of different side effects: anticholinergic side effects (cognitive impairment, blurred vision, xerostomia, urinary retention, constipation, tachycardia), orthostatic hypotension and dizziness due to a1-receptor [lawarencepress.com]
Musculoskeletal
- Fracture
Fractures - eg, femoral or hip fractures from falls. Residual psychiatric and cognitive impairment. Some progress to stupor, coma and eventual death. [patient.info]
Sedation may, at times, be a desired effect but at other times it is an adverse effect, prolonging the delirium and increasing the risk of falls and fractures. [nps.org.au]
Reducing delirium after hip fracture: a randomized trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2001;49(5):516–22. – Marcantonio ER. In the clinic. Delirium. [medicalforum.ch]
Acute confusional states in elderly patients treated for femoral neck fracture. J Am Geriatr Soc 1988; 36: 525–30 PubMed Google Scholar 12. Marcantonio ER, Goldman L, Mangione CM, et al. [link.springer.com]
Psychiatrical
- Withdrawn
Withdrawn and retarded patients with depres sive illness are at risk of failing to eat or care for themselves. C. The suicidal patient. [books.google.com]
Agitation or restlessness Picking at things that aren't there Being upset and not responding to usual soothing Trouble with attention or memory Difficulty staying alert Sleep disturbances New or different behaviors like aggression, suspiciousness, or being withdrawn [aacap.org]
Types of delirium There are 3 types of delirium: Hypoactive, meaning that the person acts sleepy or withdrawn Hyperactive, meaning that a person is agitated Mixed, meaning that a person alternates between these 2 types More than two thirds of patients [cancer.net]
Far more common is hypoactive delirium, in which the patient may be equally disoriented but is withdrawn, drowsy, or difficult to wake. [health.harvard.edu]
- Anxiety Disorder
F19.280 Other psychoactive substance dependence with psychoactive substance-induced anxiety disorder F19.281 Other psychoactive substance dependence with psychoactive substance-induced sexual dysfunction F19.282 Other psychoactive substance dependence [icd10data.com]
Depression, anxiety disorders and Type D personality as risk factors for delirium after cardiac surgery. Aust New Zealand J Psychiatry. 2010;44:1005–11. – Veliz-Reissmuller G, Agüero-Torres H, van der Linden J, Lindblom D, Jönhagen M. [medicalforum.ch]
- Aggressive Behavior
Two days after discharge, his family took him to our emergency department because of his visual hallucination and irritable and aggressive behavior. Eight days after discontinuation of steroids, his delirious symptoms began to improve. [kjim.org]
Neurologic
- Confusion
They are not meant to create confusion, nor do we always expected confusion in these patients..... which should make this reportable. [forums.acdis.org]
A screening tool for delirium, known as Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) can be used. [clinicaladvisor.com]
Adverse effects of these drugs include dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating, confusion, worsening of glaucoma, blurred vision, and short term memory problems. [fqvictims.org]
Confusion assessment method Your doctor will observe your symptoms and examine you to see if you can think, speak, and move normally. Some health practitioners use the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) to diagnose or rule out delirium. [healthline.com]
People with delirium may be confused, not know what is going on around them and be unable to hold a conversation. Delirium is a state of mental confusion that can happen if you become medically unwell. [dailymail.co.uk]
- Agitated Delirium
Medications that are often used to treat agitated delirium include haloperidol, thioridazine and risperidone. [minddisorders.com]
Delirium affects how a person thinks, remembers, and reasons. This is called a cognitive impairment disorder. The main signs of delirium are sudden changes in consciousness or state of arousal, such as feeling drowsy or agitated. [cancer.net]
While death does not always occur, most cases of excited delirium are associated with mortality. Stage #1: Delirium & Psychomotor Agitation The first stage of excited delirium is that of delirium with psychomotor agitation. [mentalhealthdaily.com]
Workup
Serum
- Hyponatremia
For example: encephalopathy due to severe hyponatremia, encephalopathy in a septic patient with severe sepsis and AKI, encephalopathy due to hypoxia with respiratory failure, encephalopathy due to poisoning from an overdose of narcotics and benzodiazepines [icd10monitor.com]
Treatment
Understanding your loved one’s mental capacity may affect treatment options. Someone experiencing strong delirium will benefit from professional substance abuse treatment. [alcoholanddrugsrehab.com]
Reported here are two cases of “probable” acute cognitive impairment following treatment of nausea with olanzapine. [apm.amegroups.com]
Drug treatment aimed at sedation should be introduced for specific indications, such as aggression, risk of harm to self or others, hallucinations, patient distress, and where compliance with therapy or procedures is essential. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
It can also interfere with a patient’s ability to receive cancer treatments. [cancer.net]
Immediate care should be followed by in-depth treatment that addresses the causes of the delirium. “The goal of treatment,” Medscape continues, “is to determine the cause of the delirium and stop or reverse it. [blackbearrehab.com]
Prognosis
This information will be very helpful for treatment providers, as the course and prognosis of delirium may differ whether it is triggered by drug intoxication or withdrawal. [alcoholanddrugsrehab.com]
Patients with malignancy or HIV also have a worse prognosis. [ 4 ] Prevention [ 1 ] Awareness of high-risk patients and subsequent close observation for delirium with prompt assessment and management can potentially reduce morbidity and mortality. [patient.info]
Prognosis of delirium in elderly hospital patients. Can Med Assoc J 1993; 149: 41–6 Google Scholar 7. Levkoff SE, Liptzin B, Evans DA, et al. Progression and resolution of delirium in elderly patients hospitalized for acute care. [link.springer.com]
Prognosis Persons with delirium usually have a worse prognosis for the underlying disease than the person without delirium. Nonetheless, those without terminal illness usually recover from delirium. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]
Etiology
Otherwise, most tests will be used for ruling out other etiologies of alteration in mental status other than delirium. [clinicaladvisor.com]
There must also be evidence that the delirium is due to a direct physiological consequence of another medical condition, substance intoxication or withdrawal, or exposure to a toxin, or is due to multiple etiologies. [mariayang.org]
There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings of either (1) or (2): (1) the symptoms in Criteria A and B developed during Substance Intoxication (2) medication use is etiologically related to the disturbance* Note: This [behavenet.com]
For general purposes within this web site, we will use the term “delirium” to indicate the spectrum of these states and will make distinctions between these motoric subtypes whenever possible with regard to etiology, clinical outcome, and treatment. [icudelirium.org]
Neuropathogenesis of delirium: review of current etiologic theories and common pathways. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013;21(12):1190–222. Kazmierski J, Banys A, Latek J, Bourke J, Jaszewski R. [lawarencepress.com]
Epidemiology
Zaal IJ, Slooter AJ: Delirium in critically ill patients: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management. Drugs 2012; 72(11):1457-71 2. [americandeliriumsociety.org]
Epidemiology Delirium occurs in 30% of those in emergency departments. [ 3 ] Occurence rates vary from 11-42% and it is the most common complication of hospitalisation in the elderly population. [ 2 ] The incidence is also higher in those with pre-existing [patient.info]
Epidemiology of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Sci. 2010;289:12-17. 11. Forsaa EB, Larsen JP, Wentzel-Larsen T, et al. A 12-year population-based study of psychosis in Parkinson disease. Arch Neurol. 2010;67:996-1001. 12. [uspharmacist.com]
– Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation. [medicalforum.ch]
Pathophysiology
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) assigns a lower severity to the nonspecific behavioral diagnosis of delirium than for the pathophysiological diagnosis of encephalopathy. [icd10monitor.com]
Risk factors Despite being so common, the pathophysiology of delirium is poorly understood. [nps.org.au]
Zaal IJ, Slooter AJ: Delirium in critically ill patients: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management. Drugs 2012; 72(11):1457-71 2. [americandeliriumsociety.org]
The actual mechanism by which drugs cause delirium are poorly understood; anyway, the pathophysiology per se of delirium itself is not well understood 1. [lawarencepress.com]
Pathophysiology and treatment of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease: a review. Drugs Aging. 2008;25:665-682. 48. Hedges DW, Woon FL, Hoopes SP. Caffeine-induced psychosis. CNS Spectr. 2009;14:127-129. 49. Drugs that may cause psychiatric symptoms. [uspharmacist.com]
Prevention
Primary prevention requires the prescription of alternative lower risk medications and the minimisation of polypharmacy. Secondary prevention may be achieved through improved recognition of the condition. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Now in its second edition, this popular and essential comprehensive resource provides a detailed analysis of how to identify, prevent, and manage drug-induced diseases. Edited by James E. Tisdale and Douglas A. [books.google.com]
Prevention Prevention of delirium is focused on treating or avoiding its underlying causes. The most preventable forms are those induced by drugs. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]