This post was contributed by Heidi Lindroth, PhD Candidate, RN, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Anesthesiology School of Nursing. Let’s ring in the New Year 2018 with a review of research from 2017 focused on delirium prevention. Often, when I talk to others about the confusion and distress experienced by […]
Family visitation in the hospital can be a huge source of comfort to patients during their stay, particularly elderly patients. Loved ones can bring a sense of familiarity and relief from the stress and fear of being in the hospital. In fact, family visitation may provide more impact than just the comfort it brings patients. […]
Case example Sandra, a 75 year old single female, was found lying on the floor of her home by her long-time neighbor. She was not oriented to who she was, where she lived, or the year. She was brought to the emergency room and found to have a urinary tract infection, sepsis (a blood infection), […]
Post contributed by A.M. Barrett, Kessler Foundation Bill hasn’t been himself, and his family is very concerned. A retired professor, Bill seemed to do very well after his stroke, and was in good spirits and clearly on the road to recovery during the first two days of his hospitalization on a stroke unit. On the […]
This post was contributed by Vanja Douglas, MD, and Stephanie Rogers, MD, both of the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. Delirium is increasingly being recognized as a potential area of hospital quality measurement. In several ways, delirium represents an ideal quality metric because standardization of care in this area is likely to […]
Mary’s 86-year-old mother Eileen has been living with her and her family for the past two years. Eileen is a widow with mild dementia. She is pleasant, communicative, and able to perform simple ADLs. Mary’s husband and her adult children help provide support, while Mary provides most of the caregiving tasks. Last week Eileen […]
Use of low-dose intraoperative ketamine does not lower levels of postoperative pain or reduce delirium in older adults undergoing surgery, according to a new study led by Michael Avidan, MBBCh, Professor of Anesthesiology and Surgery at Washington University St. Louis and NIDUS co-investigator. The findings from this multi-site randomized trial were published online on May 30 […]
The differences between delirium and dementia can be difficult to spot. If an elderly man with Alzheimer’s disease tends to become confused or agitated in the evening (a condition often known as “sundowning”¹) is his behavior dementia- or delirium-related? Moreover, what are the biological bases that differ between delirium and dementia? New research published in […]
Delirium¹ – a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment – is a costly and common condition. Though delirium can affect anyone, it is most prevalent in the elderly, affecting up to 50% of hospitalized seniors. However, it is not yet known why some individuals develop […]
Have you ever felt confused? Perhaps, you were visiting another country where everyone around you spoke a different language? You’ve lost your way to your hotel and didn’t know how to ask for directions? This situation can be unnerving to the most level-headed person. Yet, this is but a glimpse of what it must feel […]