The Role of Stress Hyperglycemia on Delirium Onset

Delirium is an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that recognizes one or more underlying causal medical conditions. Stress hyperglycemia usually refers to transient hyperglycemia associated with stress conditions such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and major surgery. Both delirium and stress hyperglycemia share common pathways, such as activation of inflammation. Stress hyperglycemia has been associated with negative outcomes, and recent studies suggested that there is an increased risk of delirium onset in patients with stress hyperglycemia. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the relationship between stress hyperglycemia and delirium. Initially, we illustrate the role of diabetes on delirium onset, summarize the criteria used for the diagnosis of stress hyperglycemia, discuss the impact of stress hyperglycemia on outcome, and focus on the evidence about the relationship between stress hyperglycemia and delirium.