title: Delirium: treatment and prevention (part 2).
abstract: Delirium management begins with non-pharmacologic interventions and treatment of the underlying causes. There are no FDA-approved medications for delirium-related psychosis and agitation, although numerous agents have been studied. Small sample size, narrow inclusion criteria, lack of placebo controls and variable methodologies limit the generalizability of findings to date. Studies and expert guidelines support the use of antipsychotics for delirium-related psychosis and agitation, and demonstrate comparable efficacy and safety between first- and second- generation agents. Mounting evidence also suggests that antipsychotics and dexmedetomidine are effective in preventing delirium in surgical and mechanically- ventilated patients, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Resident, General Psychiatry Residency Training Program at Butler Hospital and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
authors.forename: Kalya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vardi
authors.affiliation: Director, Consultation Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry Education, Rhode Island Hospital and Associate Professor (clinical), Clinician Educator, Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
authors.forename: Colin J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Harrington
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care; D003693:Delirium / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans
keywords: agitation; cognitive disorder; delirium; encephalopathy