[Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit]

Delirium is the more common form of acute cerebral dysfunction in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), characterized by transitory and alternate changes in conscience and cognitive impairment that occur with physical disease. The incidence in ICU is high, reaching 89% of the patients. The diagnosis is exclusively clinic and could be used any one of the validated scales: Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) or Intensive Care Delirium Screening Check-list (ICDSC), which should be applied, at least, once per shift by trained professionals. Its treatment and, more important, its prevention are known for several years. Currently there are new, safer and more effective therapeutic strategies for Haloperidol, such as Dexmedetomidine. Two new definitions of Delirium exist, besides the usual (hiperactive, hipoactive, mixed), which are: Subsyndromal Delirium and Delirium Superimposed on Dementia. Although they don't have all the same risks, the occurrence of Delirium in general leads to a decrease in cognitive function at long term and to a higher mortality. In spite of that, only 33% of the intensivists actively seek diagnoses of Delirium.