How to manage acute delirium?
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Hello, a seventy year old female is having the symptoms of somnolence, and deterioration of general condition. She had a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, depression and atrial fibrillation. She had an ischemic cerebrovascular accident also. She has no dementia or mild cognitive impairment. While she was active and independent in activities of daily living and living with her caregiver and, for the last 1 month there was a decrease in her interest towards her surroundings and sleepiness. Her complaints were loss of appetite, and cough after fluid intake and thus there was a decrease in fluid intake. The comprehensive geriatric evaluation revealed that she had urinary and fecal incontinence for a week, and had a malnutrition risk, and she had no falls. She has also been diagnosed with acute delirium. How to manage this condition, please suggest.
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@dilnaj Delirium is a common geriatric syndrome affecting many older patients not only admitted into acute medical wards but also in the community. Delirium is defined as a non-specific organic brain syndrome in which disturbances of consciousness is associated with attention, perception, memory, psychomotor activation, mood, and disturbances in sleep-wake cycle. Although delirium is the most common mental state disorder, it is overlooked by clinicians. It remains unrecognized in about 60% of older adults.