Delirium, also called Delirium Tremens, is a state of mental confusion that occurs abruptly and causes changes in consciousness, attention, behavior, memory, thought, orientation or other areas of cognition, causing behavior that usually alternates between excessive sleepiness and restlessness.
Also known as acute confusion, delirium is linked to changes in brain activity, and usually mainly affects hospitalized or dementia-like elderly people, such as Alzheimer’s disease, or people who abstain from alcohol and drugs, although their exact cause is not yet clarified.
- To treat delirium it is recommended.
- First of all.
- To correct factors that can trigger this situation.
- Such as treating an infection.
- Adjusting medication.
- Organizing the environment or regulating sleep for example.
- In cases.
- Your doctor may also recommend the use of antipsychotic medications.
- Such as haloperidol.
- Risperidone.
- Quetiapine.
- Or olanzapine.
The main symptoms that indicate delirium are
An important feature of delirium is its high start, hour after hour, and in addition its course is fluctuating, that is, it varies between moments of normality, restlessness or drowsiness during the same day.
Diagnosis of delirium can be confirmed by the doctor, using questionnaires such as the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), which indicates that the basic characteristics for confirmation are:
It is important to remember that “Delirium” differs from “Delirium” because it means a psychiatric alteration characterized by the formation of a false judgment on something, in which the person has the belief that something is impossible.Moreover, unlike delirium, delirium does not have an organic cause and does not cause a change of attention or consciousness.
Learn more about this change in What it is and how to identify the illusion.
The main risk factors for developing delirium include
In the elderly, delirium may be the only manifestation of a serious disease, such as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, myocardial infarction, stroke or changes in blood electrolytes, for example, each time it occurs, it should be promptly evaluated by the geriatric or general practitioner.
The main way to deal with delirium is to use strategies that help guide the person, such as allowing contact with family members during hospitalization, keeping the person oriented to time, giving them access to the calendar and clock and maintaining a quiet environment.especially at night, to allow a quiet sleep.
These strategies promote a return to consciousness and improved behavior, and older adults who wear glasses or hearing aids should have access to them, thus avoiding difficulties of understanding and communication.mental confusion.
The use of medication is indicated by the doctor and should be reserved for patients with significant agitation, which poses a risk to their own safety or that of others. The most commonly used remedies are antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine or clozapine, for example.In cases of alcohol withdrawal delirium or illegal drugs, sedative drugs, such as diazepam, clonazepam or lorazepam, are indicated, for example.