[Delirium in intensive care patients : A multiprofessional challenge]

Delirium is the most common form of cerebral dysfunction in intensive care patients and is a medical emergency that must be avoided or promptly diagnosed and treated. According to current knowledge the development of delirium seems to be caused by an interplay between increased vulnerability (predisposition) and simultaneous exposure to delirogenic factors. Since delirium is often overlooked in the clinical routine, a continuous screening for delirium should be performed. Due to the close connection between delirium, agitation and pain, sedation and analgesia must be evaluated at least every 8 h analogous to delirium screening. According to current knowledge, a multifactorial and multiprofessional approach is favored in the prevention and treatment of delirium. Non-pharmaceutical interventions through early mobilization, reorientation, sleep improvement, adequate pain therapy and avoidance of polypharmacy are of great importance. Depending on the clinical picture, different substances are used in symptom-oriented drug treatment of delirium. In order to achieve these diagnostic and therapeutic goals, an interdisciplinary treatment team consisting of intensive care, intensive care physicians, ward pharmacists, physiotherapists, nutrition specialists and psychiatrists is necessary in order to meet the requirements of the patient and their relatives.