Delirium News and Research

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Delirium is a mental state in which a person is confused, disoriented, and not able to think or remember clearly. The person may also be agitated and have hallucinations, and extreme excitement.

Seminal delirium prevention program for older patients stands poised for major expansion

A seminal program for preventing delirium (the medical term for abrupt, rapid-onset confusion or altered mental state, affecting millions of older adults annually) and loss of function for hospitalized older adults stands poised for a major expansion thanks to the American Geriatrics Society.

10 Oct 2019

Melatonin may not help prevent delirium following major cardiac surgery

Delirium is observed in approximately 15% of hospitalized older adults, and it is more common in the critically ill and in those undergoing major surgery, such as heart surgery.

9 Oct 2019

EEG slowing may be a valuable biomarker for delirium severity

An EEG (electroencephalogram) can provide a valuable biomarker for detecting delirium, a serious mental disturbance that is often underrecognized, as well as predicting poor clinical outcomes, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital have found.

11 Sep 2019

New program aims to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions for older adults

Preventing stressful, and often unnecessary, hospital admissions for older Australians living in residential aged care facilities is the aim of a new $1.9 million program funded by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.

5 Sep 2019

Regular physical activity associated with decreased risk of postoperative delirium

After having surgery, many older adults develop delirium, the medical term for sudden and severe confusion. In fact, between 10 and 67 percent of older adults experience delirium after surgery for non-heart-related issues, while 5 to 61 percent experience delirium after orthopedic surgery (surgery dealing with the bones and muscles).

14 Aug 2019

Researchers open up possible avenue for new cancer treatments without side effects

Researchers have opened up a possible avenue for new cancer therapies that don't have the side effects that oftentimes accompany many current cancer treatments by identifying a protein modification that specifically supports proliferation and survival of tumor cells.

6 Aug 2019

Study shows geriatric risk factors associated with inability to return home after surgery

Older adults have a different physiology and unique set of needs that may make them more vulnerable to complications following a surgical procedure.

22 Jul 2019

Common medications can masquerade as dementia in seniors

By all accounts the woman, in her late 60s, appeared to have severe dementia. She was largely incoherent. Her short-term memory was terrible. She couldn't focus on questions that medical professionals asked her.

18 Jul 2019

$Experts explain what happens after hip fracture in older adults$

Experts explain what happens after hip fracture in older adults

Older adults are more vulnerable to fractures due to bone mass loss. Hip fractures can be tremendously grave, often leading to chronic disease and even death. Now, experts from the American Geriatrics Society explain the true toll of hip fractures and how older adults fare up after the injury.

9 Jul 2019

New tool seeks to predict postoperative delirium severity in older adults

A new tool seeks to predict the severity of patients' postoperative delirium and help practitioners more effectively care for patients as they recover from surgery.

11 Jun 2019

Delirium increases risk of cognitive dysfunction, but only in the first postoperative month

New research indicates that older patients who develop delirium-; an acute attentional deficit that waxes and wanes, right after surgery are more likely to show signs of postoperative cognitive dysfunction one month later.

29 May 2019

Reversibly paralyzing, heavily sedating hospitalized patients do not improve outcomes

Reversibly paralyzing and heavily sedating hospitalized patients with severe breathing problems do not improve outcomes in most cases, according to a National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trial conducted at dozens of North American hospitals and led by clinician-scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Colorado schools of medicine.

20 May 2019

Neurological Side Effects of CAR T-Cell Therapy Revealed

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital quantified the neurological symptoms associated with CAR T-cell therapy and found that 77 percent of patients receiving the treatment experienced at least one neurological side effect.

16 May 2019

Implementation of new pathway for spatial neglect care

Spatial neglect remains a hidden disability despite the availability of effective tools for the diagnosis and treatment for this common complication of stroke.

15 May 2019

Researchers analyze the effects of dark play in a serious video game

A new study has shown that allowing "dark play" in a serious video game intended to practice skills transferable to a real-life setting does not impact the game's effectiveness.

16 Apr 2019

New clinical pathway reduces rate of debilitating complications for frail elderly trauma patients

A standardized interdisciplinary clinical pathway to identify and manage frailty in older patients has reduced the rate of one of the most debilitating complications for older patients--delirium--and kept patients from returning to the hospital within 30 days of treatment for traumatic injury.

5 Apr 2019

Lurie Children's introduces virtual reality into pediatric ICU

For the first time in a pediatric intensive care unit, patients get a chance to scuba dive, snowboard, and go on a safari or other adventures, all from their hospital bed.

28 Mar 2019

Inflammation in the brain increases side-effects of hypnotic drugs

In a study recently published in the European Journal of Pharmacology researchers at Okayama University show how the presence of inflammation in the brain can increase its sensitivity to benzodiazepines.

7 Mar 2019

Changing drugs, deprescribing do not lower severity and duration of delirium in ICU patients

The results of two new Regenstrief Institute trials published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society underscore and confirm the need to look to options other than medication to lower the duration or severity of delirium in intensive care unit patients.

6 Mar 2019

Wakefulness and novel sleep index may predict success of spontaneous breathing trial

Critically ill patients are more likely to be successfully weaned from a mechanical ventilator, or breathing machine, if they have higher levels of wakefulness and both their right and left brains experience the same depth of sleep, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

1 Mar 2019