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The diagnosis and management of delirium in infancy

Susan Beckwitt Turkel1, Julienne R Jacobson, C Jane Tavaré

  • 1Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA. sbturkel@usc.edu

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology
|June 21, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Atypical antipsychotics effectively managed delirium symptoms in young children, with significant symptom reduction observed. These medications appeared safe and beneficial for pediatric patients experiencing delirium.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychiatry
  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Delirium management in very young children is understudied.
  • Atypical antipsychotics show promise for delirium in older populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the use of atypical antipsychotics in infants and toddlers with delirium.
  • To evaluate the safety and efficacy of these medications in a very young pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of psychiatric inpatient consultations for children under 36 months with delirium.
  • Calculation of Delirium Rating Scale (DRS) scores before and after treatment.

Main Results:

  • Olanzapine and risperidone were used in 19 children (ages 7-30 months).
  • Mean DRS scores significantly decreased (p<0.001) with treatment.
  • No significant adverse side effects were reported.

Conclusions:

  • Atypical antipsychotics appear effective and safe for managing delirium in infants and toddlers.
  • Further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm indications, risks, and benefits.
Abstract

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