Psychiatria pre prax 3/2003
Delirium not due to alcohol consumption
Delirium is a medical emergency. Patients with delirium have greater morbidity and mortality than other patients. Delirious patients may present with various psychiatric symptoms and are often referred to a psychiatrist for evaluation. Misdiagnosis results in delay of appropriate medical intervention. Delirium may be the initial presentation of a number of medical conditions and it is common among medically ill populations that psychiatrists are asked to assess and the cause of delirium is often iatrogenic.
Keywords: delirium, psychiatric emergencies, anticholinergic side effects, systemic disorders, risk factors.
