title: [Delirium].
abstract: Delirium is an acute condition often affecting acutely ill hospitalized patients, particularly in the elderly patients. Delirium is under-detected and associated with adverse healthcare outcomes, including institutionalization and elevated mortality. In the elderly patients, delirium and dementia have overlapping features that complicate differential diagnosis. There is neither any medication approved for the treatment of delirium nor strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of medications. In the management of delirium, recent studies show that delirium prevention(i.e., multidisciplinary delirium prevention programs) leads to improved outcomes, rather than waiting for delirium to develop and then intervening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Nippon Medical School Musashikosugi Hospital.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kishi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans