title: Delirium from nicotine withdrawal in neuro-ICU patients.
abstract: Five cases of presumed nicotine withdrawal delirium among brain-injured patients treated in a neurologic intensive care unit are presented. Each patient had a history of heavy tobacco use and experienced dramatic and sustained clinical improvement within hours of transdermal nicotine replacement. These preliminary observations suggest that nicotine withdrawal may be an under-recognized cause of delirium in patients with acute brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Division of Critical Care Neurology, Department of Neurology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. sam14@columbia.edu
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ridgway
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Commichau
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Bernardini
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003693:Delirium / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine