Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
12.7K
Delirium in older persons: evaluation and management.
Virginia B Kalish1, Joseph E Gillham2, Brian K Unwin3
1National Capitol Consortium, Fort Belvoir, VA, USA.
American Family Physician
|August 1, 2014
Summary
Delirium, a common hospital syndrome in older adults, requires prompt assessment and prevention. Key interventions like reorientation and early mobilization significantly reduce its incidence and improve patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Critical Care Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Delirium is an acute, fluctuating disturbance in attention, awareness, and cognition, frequently observed in elderly patients within hospital and long-term care settings.
- It can signify a serious underlying medical condition and necessitates vigilant monitoring and management.
Observation:
- Risk factors for delirium include specific medications, sensory deficits, pre-existing cognitive impairment, and various acute medical conditions.
- Preventive strategies are crucial and encompass frequent reorientation, early mobilization, effective pain management, adequate nutrition/hydration, sensory impairment reduction, and optimized sleep hygiene.
Findings:
- Non-pharmacological interventions have demonstrated efficacy in reducing delirium incidence across diverse care environments.
- Treatment prioritizes addressing causative medical issues, providing supportive care, preventing complications, and reinforcing preventive measures.
Implications:
- In older adults, delirium is associated with increased risks of functional decline, long-term institutionalization, and mortality.
- Pharmacological treatments are generally reserved for safety concerns or end-of-life care scenarios.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
392
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
392
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
365
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
365
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
350
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
350
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
1.4K
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
1.4K
01:30Dementia
685
Dementia is a collective term for cognitive disorders primarily affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning. It is not a specific disease but a syndrome, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common cause, accounting for approximately 60-80% of cases. Other types include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Dementia affects millions worldwide, particularly older adults, though it is not a normal part of aging.
The progression of dementia is generally gradual....
The progression of dementia is generally gradual....
685
01:22Dementia l: Introduction
29
Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...
29