Delirium

Delirium is an acute and relatively sudden decline in attention-focus, perception, and cognition. In medical usage it is not synonymous with drowsiness, and may occur without it. It is commonly associated with a disturbance of consciousness . The change in cognition or the development of a perceptual disturbance, must be one that is not better accounted for by a preexisting, established, or evolving dementia. Usually the rapidly fluctuating time course of delirium is used to help in the latter distinction.Because it represents a change in cognitive function, the diagnosis cannot be made without knowledge of the affected person's baseline level of cognitive function.Without careful assessment, delirium can easily be confused with a number of psychiatric disorders because many of the signs and symptoms are conditions present in dementia, depression, and psychosis. Delirium is probably the single most common acute disorder affecting adults in general hospitals. It affects 10-20% of all hospitalized adults, and 30-40% of elderly hospitalized patients.Delirium itself is not a disease, but rather a clinical syndrome , which result from an underlying disease or new problem with mentation. Like its components , delirium is simply the common symptomatic manifestation of early brain or mental dysfunction .Distressing symptoms of delirium are sometimes treated with antipsychotics, preferably those with minimal anticholinergic activity, such as haloperidol or risperidone, or else with benzodiazepines, which decrease the anxiety felt by a person who may also be disoriented, and has difficulty completing tasks. However, since these drug treatments do not address the underlying cause of delirium, and may mask changes in delirium which themselves may be helpful in assessing the patient's underlying changes in health, their use is difficult. Because delirium is a mere symptom of another problem which may be very subtle, the wisdom of treatment of the delirious patient with drugs must overcome natural skepticism, and requires a high degree of skill. (From the Wikpedia article Delirium.)

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Recent Publications on Delirium:
Acute confusion/delirium. This paper focuses on the questions asked to practitioners regarding...	13th November, 2009		J Gerontol Nurs. 2009 Nov;35(11):11-8. doi: 10.3928/00989134-20090930-01. DOI Direct Link
Perioperative care of the elderly patient: an update. Elderly patients pose unique challenges perioperatively. They are more...	13th November, 2009	Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Kaufmann Medical	Cleve Clin J Med. 2009 Nov;76 Suppl 4:S16-21. DOI Direct Link
Understanding, recognizing, and managing chronic critical illness syndrome. PURPOSE: No evidence-based guidelines exist for the care of patients with...	11th November, 2009	College of Health Professions, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit,	J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2009 Nov;21(11):571-8. DOI Direct Link
Management and outcomes of delirium in a secured, co-located geriatric and psychogeriatric unit. PURPOSE: No evidence-based guidelines exist for the care of patients with...	10th November, 2009		J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Sep;57(9):1725-7. DOI Direct Link
Flaws in the serum anticholinergic activity assay: implications for the study of delirium. PURPOSE: No evidence-based guidelines exist for the care of patients with...	10th November, 2009		J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Sep;57(9):1707-8. DOI Direct Link
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Press Releases About Delirium:
AlphaRx and Gaia BioPharma Report Positive Efficacy Results in a Pre-Clinical Trial of GAI-122 Injectable Nano-emulsion for Post-operative Delirium	29th June, 2009	AlphaRx Inc.	GAI-122, an investigational injectable nanoemulsion formulated with AlphaRx's proprietary drug delivery technology, providing significant neuro-protection in multiple in vitro and in

BioNews Results for Delirium:
Study on the efficacy and tolerability of amisulpride in medical/surgical inpatients with delirium admitted to a general hospital	MDLinx:  Nov 6 2009 9:24AM Matching: delirium
Delirium in Intensive Care	Medscape:  Oct 26 2009 6:05AM Matching: delirium
The Assessment and Management of Delirium in Cancer Patients Shirley H. Bush, Eduardo Bruera (p. 1039)	The Oncologist:  Oct 24 2009 3:59PM Matching: delirium
Finding Their 'NICHE'	Advance for Nurses:  Oct 21 2009 6:29AM Matching: delirium
Aurora Health Care Among Six Sites Chosen for National Medicare Collaborative on Geriatric Care	Pharmacy Choice:  Oct 16 2009 9:18AM Matching: delirium
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Delirium Clinical Trials:
Haloperidol vs Olanzapine for the Management of ICU Delirium

Delirium Patents:
US Patent No.	Title
7538114	Glycine transporter-1 inhibitors
7564245	NMR device for detection of analytes
7566725	Imidazo[1,2-A] pyridine anxiolytics
7566735	Compounds which potentiate AMPA receptor and uses thereof in medicine
7566781	Imidazopyridine compound
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