Nursing 3920A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Nervous System Disease, Cerebrovascular Disease, Nursing Assessment
23 Feb 2018
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In c. l. pollard, s. l. ray & m. Canadian psychiatric mental health nursing: a clinical approach (1st canadian ed. , pp. Clinical picture: a cognitive disturbance characterized by inattention, disorganized thinking, and a fluctuating mental status, should be considered a medical emergency, and immediate attention should be given to prevent irreversible and serious damage. 2: delirium is usually short-term, but can have long-term consequences. In pts with pre-existing cognitive impairment (ex. dementia), delirium accelerates cognitive decline: there is an association with depression post-delirium. Epidemiology: this is the most common complication of hospitalization in older pts, there is a high degree of variability in the reported incidence of delirium (3% - 56%) is most likely due to its under-recognition by nurses and doctors. Comorbidity and etiology: delirium is always secondary to another physiological condition and is often a transient disorder. If the underlying condition is corrected, complete recovery from delirium should also occur.
