Essay On Delirium

Definition Delirium is a disturbance in mental capabilities that causes a person to be confused while thinking and can reduce the person’s awareness of their environment (mayoclinic). This illness can be linked with more than one factor such as medication, a medical condition, and multiple etiologies (DSM). Delirium can be confused with dementia because of similar symptoms so it is important that the family or caregiver can give their input so the doctor can make a correct diagnosis (mayoclinic). According to the Mayo Clinic, there are three types of delirium. The first type, hyperactive delirium, causes restlessness, fast mood changes, hallucinations, and eve agitation (mayoclinic). The second type of delirium, hypoactive delirium, is the opposite. This type of delirium causes the person to become sluggish, drowsy, less active, and seem to be dazed (mayoclinic).

Symptoms Symptoms of delirium can
A few of the causes are lack of oxygen to the brain, certain medications, pain, sleep deprivation, severe illness, and reactions to anesthesia used during surgery. Although there are many minor causes, there are three major causes of delirium. The first major cause of delirium is medication-induced delirium (DSM). This is when the person’s symptoms appear because of a medication prescribed by a doctor (DSM). The second major cause is due to a previous medical condition (DSM). In this case, there is reason to believe that delirium is caused by a preexisting condition (DSM). There have been examinations, history records and lab reports pointing to this being one of the main causes of delirium. The third and final major cause of delirium is multiple etiologies (DSM). Etiologies are causes of a certain illness and in this case, there is more than one etiology. For example, there may be a medical condition combined with a medication side effect and substance abuse and that would be considered a multiple etiology for