Delirium: what is it, why is it important

Delirium: what is it, why is it important

Delirium: What is it, why is it important and what do we do about it?

Delirium is a temporary disorder of cognition that affects all patient populations and can have devastating after-effects. It occurs in all health care settings, but is more frequent among older people and especially those suffering from dementia.

Delirium produces health, personal and financial costs and challenges to the individual, their families, carers, health providers and the broader health system. These effects can be minimised or avoided by prevention or early identification and treatment.

This presentation will describe some of the poor outcomes associated with delirium, and will show how to use a validated method to identify delirium and how to differentiate delirium from dementia and depression.

We will also consider risk factors and preventative measures, and discuss best-practice care, including non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures.

A WADTSC seminar presentation by Malcolm Hare NM – Informatics Support, Nursing Research, Evaluation and Informatics, Fremantle Hospital on 18 August 2010

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