Delirium

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Central nervous system

Delirium is sudden severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.

Acute confusional state; Acute brain syndrome

Delirium is most often caused by physical or mental illness and is usually temporary and reversible. Many disorders cause delirium, including conditions that deprive the brain of oxygen or other substances.

Causes include:

• Alcohol or sedative drug withdrawal
• Drug abuse
• Electrolyte or other body chemical disturbances
• Infections such as urinary tract infections or pneumonia (more likely in people who already have brain damage from stroke or dementia)
• Poisons
• Surgery

Review Date: 02/06/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurolosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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