Ep60: Delirium Part 1- Detection and Causes

Delirium is an acute disturbance of consciousness, attention, cognition or perception. It’s associated with an increased risk of falls, dementia and high dependency care, and all of this adds up to higher mortality. About a third of patients admitted to ICU or approaching the end of life, experience delirium. But it’s notoriously underdiagnosed, so in this episode we talk about the presentations and detection of delirium. We also go through some of the medical risk factors, including dementia, infection and metabolic disorders like hypercalcaemica. But even more common than these precipitants, are a host of drugs that can alter cognition or increase agitation by their anti-cholinergic properties. Importantly, we also hear Adam Kwok described his experience as the carer of a patient going through the trauma of three bouts of delirium, and the challenges of care. Go to the next episode to hear about non-pharmacological management of those at risk of delirium, and the many caveats of psychtropic medication.

Guests
Adam Kwok
Prodessor Meera Agar FRACP FAChPM (Liverpool Hospital, UTS)
Professor Gideon Caplan FRACP (Director of Geriatric Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, UNSW)

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