Contributed by Thiago J. Avelino-Silva, MD, PhD*; Flávia B. Garcez, MD, PhD* *Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Delirium results from an intricate combination of dozens of possible predisposing and precipitating factors1. Older age, functional dependence, and preexisting cognitive impairment are key determinants for its occurrence, but the latter is a […]
Contributed by Heidi Lindroth, PhD RN, T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University School of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the terror of delirium to the forefront. Featured articles in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and others, have highlighted the enormous […]
Contributed by Namrata Patil, MD MPH of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Faculty at Harvard Medical School, Boston. “Doctor, is he still like that? If he is still the same I am not coming in….,” her voice cracks as she breaks into sobs on the other side of the phone. My patient’s wife does […]
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), […]
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 […]
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 […]