A new article on Medpage regarding delirium (acute confusional state is a common and severe neuropsychiatric syndrome with core features of acute onset and fluctuating course, attentional deficits and generalized severe disorganization of behavior - From Wikipedia) that is important to any elder facing cardiac surgery or potentially any other surgery. We often see our elder clients, when hospitalized, have a severe exacerbation of their dementia or new onset of a confusion and disorientation during the hospitalization and after returning home. Often a delirium is misdiagnosed in the hospital as a dementia and so it is important that a psychiatrist or neurologist test a person who is suspected to have either a rapid onset delirium or a dementia to determine the correct diagnosis. The link to the Medpage article is here.
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AuthorPat McVey-Ritsick, CLPF, NCG Pleasant Hill, CA 925-627-1593 Archives
July 2012
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