NURSING 2LA2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Noxious Stimulus, Lactic Acidosis, Intracranial Hemorrhage
4 May 2016
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Document Summary
Delirium is a common, life-threatening and potentially preventable clinical syndrome induced by a variety of physical changes. It is an acute decline in the cognitive processes of the brain namely attention and cognition. Most strongly associated with hospitalized patients >65. Patients may exhibit periods of inattention, disorganized thinking, changes in loc, disorientation, delusions, perceptual disturbances, as well as impaired memory, speech, sleep and psychomotor activity. Changes in cognitive functions can fluctuate in severity throughout the day often under-recognized and under treated. Some clinicians continue to use terms such as confusional state or encephalopathy further complicating proper identification. Delirium can lead to poor clinical outcomes and should be regarded as a marker for severe illness and mortality. Still only 40% of health care workers routinely screen for delirium in at risk patients. Clinical features of delirium: acute onset, fluctuating course. Inattention: disorganized thinking, altered level of consciousness, cognitive deficits, perceptual disturbances, psychomotor disturbances, altered sleep-wake cycles, emotional disturbances.
