title: Dysgraphia and terminal delirium.
abstract: Delirium is a frequently encountered clinical condition in palliative medicine, but it is often unrecognized and misdiagnosed. The cardinal sign of delirium is that of impaired consciousness. Writing skills are reported to be a delicate indicator of consciousness impairment, and a too infrequently utilized clinical sign of delirium. Ten delirious hospice patients completed the Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test which showed that writing was the most impaired of the language dysfunctions assessed. The simple clinical task of a request to write 'name and address' revealed overt dysgraphic errors among delirious patients. This examination is clinically acceptable to hospice practice and may be an adequate and accurate bedside test of delirium.
authors.affiliation: Burwood Hospice, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Macleod
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Whitehead
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*