Delirium

Overview Delirium is a serious change in mental abilities. It results in confused thinking and a lack of awareness of someone's surroundings. The disorder usually comes on fast — within hours or a few days. Delirium can often be traced to one or more factors. Factors may include a severe or long illness or an imbalance in the body, such as low sodium. The disorder also may be caused by certain medicines, infection, surgery, or alcohol or drug use or withdrawal. Symptoms Symptoms of delirium usually begin over a few hours or a few days. They typically occur with a medical problem. Symptoms often come and go during the day. There may be periods of no symptoms. Symptoms tend to be worse at night when it's dark and things look less familiar. They also tend to be worse in settings that aren't familiar, such as in a hospital. Primary symptoms include the following. Reduced awareness of surroundings This may result in: • Trouble focusing on a topic or changing topics • Getting stuck on an idea rather than responding to questions • Being easily distracted • Being withdrawn, with little or no activity or little response to surroundings Poor thinking skills This may appear as: • Poor memory, such as forgetting recent events • Not knowing where they are or who they are • Trouble with speech or recalling words • Rambling or nonsense speech • Trouble understanding speech • Trouble reading or writing Behavior and emotional changes These may include: • Anxiety, fear or distrust of others...

Sudden confusion, sometimes called delirium or encephalopathy, can be a sign of many health problems. It comes on quickly, within hours or days. It’s different from If you or someone you know has sudden mental confusion, you need to see a doctor right away. It’s not normal, whether a person is young or old. Once you can figure out and treat the underlying cause, the confusion usually goes away. What Are the Signs? Symptoms can vary. Some people become quiet and withdrawn, while others get nervous and upset. They may: • Struggle to focus • Seem groggy, like they can’t wake up all the way • Mumble or say things that don’t make sense • Not recognize you or know where they are • Get worked up and upset for no reason • "See things that aren’t real These symptoms will start suddenly. They may come and go or steadily get worse later in the day. What Causes It? Many conditions or health problems can cause sudden confusion, and some are more serious than others: They include: • • • Very low amounts of sodium or • • Infections anywhere in the body (including the • • Pain (especially when a person gets too little or too much treatment) • Parkinson’s disease • • Strokes or “mini-strokes” (TIAs) • Other issues, like Other things can also make you more likely to have sudden confusion, such as if you: • Stay in the hospital, especially after an operation • Have a lot of medical problems • Take a lot of medications, or stop taking a daily medication • Are over age 65 • Have dementia • Don...