Definition
Delirium is sudden severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.
Alternative Names
Acute confusional state; Acute brain syndrome
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Delirium is most often caused by physical or mental illness and is usually temporary and reversible. Many disorders cause delirium, including conditions that deprive the brain of oxygen or other substances.
Causes include:
Drug abuse
Infections such as urinary tract infections or pneumonia (in people who already have brain damage from stroke or dementia)
Poisons
Fluid/electrolyte or acid/base disturbances
Patients with more severe brain injuries are more likely to get delirium from another illness.
Symptoms
Delirium involves a quick change between mental states (for example, from lethargy to agitation and back to lethargy).
Symptoms include:
Changes in alertness (usually more alert in the morning, less alert at night)
Changes in feeling (sensation) and perception
Changes in level of consciousness or awareness
Changes in movement (for example, may be inactive or slow moving)
Changes in sleep patterns, drowsiness
Confusion (disorientation) about time or place
Decrease in short-term memory and recall
Unable to remember events since delirium began (anterograde amnesia)
Unable to remember past events (retrograde amnesia)
Disrupted or wandering attention
Inability to think or behave with purpose
Problems concentrating
Disorganized thinking
Speech that doesn't make sense (incoherent)
Inability to stop speech patterns or behaviors
Emotional or personality changes
Anger
Anxiety
Apathy
Depression
Euphoria
Irritability
Movements triggered by changes in the nervous system (psychomotor restlessness)
Signs and tests
The following tests may have abnormal results:
An exam of the nervous system (neurologic examination)
Psychologic studies
Tests of feeling (sensation), thinking (cognitive function), and motor function
The following tests may also be done:
Ammonia levels
B12 level
Blood chemistry (chem-20)
Blood gas analysis
Chest x-ray
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
CPK
Drug, alcohol levels (toxicology screen)
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Glucose test
Head CT scan
Head MRI scan
Liver function tests
Mental status test
Serum calcium
Serum electrolytes
Serum magnesium
Thyroid function tests
Thyroid stimulating hormone level
Urinalysis


Read more: http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/delirium#ixzz1JmvLfpho
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