Stabilizing and Managing Patients with Altered Mental Status and Delirium.
Present in all patient populations, altered mental status (AMS) is a common, but nonspecific emergency department (ED) presentation that can signify serious underlying pathology. Delirium is a more defined mental status change caused by another medical condition that carries a high morbidity and mortality if missed. However, ED physicians miss the condition in more than 50% of cases. The ED physician should maintain a high index of suspicion for delirium, because if missed in the ED, delirium is more likely to be missed on the floors as well. Management of delirium is directed toward treating the underlying course.
Section of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 1504 Taub Loop, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: odiari@bcm.edu.
Ebelechukwu A
EA
Odiari
Section of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 439 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007, USA.
Navdeep
N
Sekhon
Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, 1502 Taub Loop, NPC Building 2nd Floor, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Jin Y
JY
Han
Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, 1502 Taub Loop, NPC Building 2nd Floor, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Elizabeth H
EH
David
D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D019468:Disease Management; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D008609:Mental Status Schedule
Altered mental status; Antipsychotics; Delirium; Emergency department; Management