Delirium in elderly people: an update

Current Opinion in Psychiatry
Albert F G Leentjens, Rose C van der Mast

Abstract

To review recent studies on epidemiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology, treatment and prevention of delirium in elderly people. There is no evidence that the clinical picture of delirium in elderly people differs from that in younger patients, although it may run a more chronic course. Diagnosing delirium in demented patients, however, may be difficult due to overlap in symptoms of delirium and dementia. Systematic use of screening and diagnostic instruments may help to diminish the common underdiagnosis of delirium. Delirium is best understood as the result of multiple interacting predisposing and precipitating factors. In the elderly, predisposing factors that make patients more susceptible for delirium include cognitive dysfunction and older age, while important precipitating factors that directly cause delirium are any somatic events and the use of anticholinergic drugs. Delirium has a significant negative prognostic impact on functional and cognitive outcome, as well as on morbidity and mortality. Haloperidol remains the standard treatment for delirium, while there is some evidence for the efficacy of risperidone. Other atypical antipsychotics, as well as cholinesterase inhibitors, have not yet been sufficiently studied. Res...Continue Reading

References

Dec 15, 1990·Annals of Internal Medicine·S K InouyeR I Horwitz
Jan 1, 1988·Psychiatry Research·P T TrzepaczJ Greenhouse
Mar 1, 1994·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·K RockwoodB O'Brien
Nov 27, 1998·The American Journal of Medicine·E R MarcantonioT H Lee
Mar 4, 1999·The New England Journal of Medicine·S K InouyeL M Cooney
Mar 11, 1999·The New England Journal of Medicine·UNKNOWN Parkinson Study Group
Sep 4, 1999·Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders·S K Inouye
Jan 13, 2000·International Psychogeriatrics·D B RolfsonK Rockwood
May 8, 2000·International Psychogeriatrics·N J MartinM Bédard
Aug 16, 2000·European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery : the Official Journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·Y SasajimaH Yamamoto
Aug 24, 2000·The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences·T EllisJ H Growdon
Sep 16, 2000·Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry·T RahkonenR Sulkava
May 3, 2001·International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry·T RahkonenR Sulkava
Jun 15, 2001·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·E R MarcantonioN M Resnick
Jun 15, 2001·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·K MilisenP L Broos
May 2, 2002·The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences·Martin G ColeLing Han
Sep 21, 2002·Biological Psychiatry·Alan BreierJoseph H Friedman
Jan 22, 2003·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Edward R MarcantonioJohn N Morris
May 20, 2003·Research and Theory for Nursing Practice·Marieke J SchuurmansSijmen A Duursma
Sep 3, 2003·Journal of General Internal Medicine·Jane McCuskerEric Belzile
Dec 6, 2003·Research and Theory for Nursing Practice·Marieke J SchuurmansSijmen A Duursma
Dec 23, 2003·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Jane McCuskerEric Belzile
Apr 21, 2004·The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry·Eduard ParelladaGuadalupe Martínez
May 6, 2004·The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry·Nadya KaganskyShmuel Levy
May 25, 2004·Anesthesia and Analgesia·Khwaja ZakriyaShawn Franckowiak
May 28, 2004·The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry·Dinesh MittalHenry A Nasrallah
Jun 10, 2004·Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research·David M EdelsteinKenneth J Koval
Jul 3, 2004·Psychosomatics·Chang-Su Han, Yong-Ku Kim
Jul 16, 2004·International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry·Paul L J DautzenbergAnton J M Loonen
Aug 21, 2004·International Psychogeriatrics·Franklin Santana SantosRenério Fráguas
Aug 21, 2004·Clinical Neuropharmacology·Letterio MorganteAldo Quattrone

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 1, 2006·Tijdschrift voor gerontologie en geriatrie
Feb 4, 2009·Neurological Sciences : Official Journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·Gleb SlobodinMajed Odeh
Oct 3, 2009·Psychological Medicine·P SachdevT M Anderson
Oct 28, 2006·Palliative & Supportive Care·A D Macleod
May 3, 2007·Journal of Palliative Medicine·Egidio Del FabbroEduardo Bruera
Mar 19, 2011·Clinical Medicine : Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London·John M Starr
Jul 24, 2012·General Hospital Psychiatry·Akhilesh SharmaSurinder Kumar Jindal
May 23, 2008·Critical Care Medicine·Jan N M SchieveldJim van Os
Jul 3, 2013·Korean journal of anesthesiology·Seung Dong KimDae Lim Jee
Aug 19, 2008·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·John YoungYngve Gustafson
Aug 19, 2008·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·Albert F G LeentjensDavid J Meagher
Jan 29, 2008·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·Albert F G LeentjensDavid J Meagher
Feb 24, 2007·Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics·P GareriG De Sarro
Jul 12, 2011·International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry·Harold R WallbridgeBarry I Campbell
Jul 4, 2006·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·Albert F G Leentjens, Albert Diefenbacher
Oct 9, 2007·Current Opinion in Psychiatry·Jessica Broadway, Jacobo Mintzer
Jul 8, 2008·CNS Drugs·Azizah AttardDavid Taylor
Feb 22, 2011·Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies·Kevin MaddenDavid Y Moromisato
Jul 31, 2020·Palliative & Supportive Care·Leonie BodeSoenke Boettger

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Feeds

Epidemiology of Aging

This feed focuses on epidemiology of aging and aging-related conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and age-associated cognitive impairment. Here is the latest research.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotic drugs are a class of medication primarily used to manage psychosis (including delusions, hallucinations, paranoia or disordered thought), principally in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Discover the latest research on antipsychotic drugs here

Related Papers

JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association
E Wesley ElyRobert S Dittus
Clinical Medicine : Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London
Jonathan PotterGuideline Development Group
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved