Delirium in palliative care Journal Article

  


Authors: Alici, Y.; Breitbart, W.
Article Title: Delirium in palliative care
Abstract: Delirium is a common and often serious neuropsychiatric complication in palliative care settings, characterized by an abrupt onset of disturbances of consciousness, attention, cognition, and perception that fluctuate over the course of the day. Delirium, frequently the harbinger of impending death, is a sign of significant physiologic disturbance, usually involving multiple medical etiologies, including infection, major organ failure, electrolyte disturbances, and medication adverse effects. Delirium is associated with increased morbidity, causing distress in patients and caregivers, and is often the final challenge of palliative care management. Unfortunately, delirium is often under-recognized and untreated in the palliative care setting. Psychiatrists, primary care physicians, oncologists, and pain specialists must be able to diagnose delirium accurately, undertake appropriate assessment of etiologies, clarify the controversies regarding the goals of management, and understand the risks and benefits of the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions currently available for managing delirium. © MBL Communications Inc.
Keywords: clinical feature; review; drug efficacy; drug safety; side effect; aripiprazole; chlorpromazine; donepezil; haloperidol; lorazepam; methylphenidate; midazolam; modafinil; olanzapine; opiate; oxygen; propofol; quetiapine; risperidone; rivastigmine; ziprasidone; akathisia; clinical assessment; delirium; diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders; differential diagnosis; extrapyramidal symptom; fluid therapy; incidence; morbidity; orthostatic hypotension; oxygen therapy; palliative therapy; prevalence; qt prolongation; sedation; terminally ill patient
Journal Title: Primary Psychiatry
Volume: 16
Issue: 5
ISSN: 1082-6319
Publisher: Mbl Communications, Inc Us  
Date Published: 2009-05-01
Start Page: 42
End Page: 48
Language: English
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:

http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-75449108489&partnerID=40&md5=a0e0b06590f3415e02ce0e1aea0801a1
Notes: --- - "Export Date: 30 November 2010" - "CODEN: PPRSC" - "Source: Scopus"
MSK Authors
  1. William S Breitbart
    506 Breitbart
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