The 3 Ds, and newly acquired cognitive impairment: issues for the ICU nurse

As the United States population ages, patients in intensive care units (ICUs) bring with them the challenges of an aging population. One challenge is the different types of confusions seen in the geriatric patient. Intensive care unit nurses must be knowledgeable about the different types of confusions, be able to differentiate among them, and know the appropriate prevention and management strategies for each type. Failure to do so results in consequences that impact the patient long after the ICU stay had ended. The purpose of this article was to differentiate between the 3 most common confusions among older adults--delirium, dementia, and depression. In addition, this article discusses confusion seen postoperatively and post-ICU stay.