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.

Hip fractures may serve as first sign of undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease

In a study of older people with no clinical diagnosis or signs of dementia when hospitalized to repair hip fractures, Johns Hopkins researchers say they found biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in most of the patients’ spinal fluid samples.

26 Feb 2019

Researcher explore why some patients recover quickly after surgery while others don't

Why do some patients recover quickly after surgery, while others don't? That is an important question when treating older frail patients suffering from aortic stenosis. Lead author Dae Hyun Kim, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.D., and principle investigator Director Lewis A. Lipsitz in the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife explore this question in a paper published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine.

5 Feb 2019

Gerontologists assess change in patients' functional status after valve replacement procedure

Affecting an estimated one in eight people older than 75, aortic valve stenosis - a narrowing of the heart's main artery - makes the heart work harder to supply the body with blood, potentially limiting patient's activity levels an quality of life. Ultimately, aortic stenosis can lead to stroke, arrhythmia, heart failure and death.

5 Feb 2019

Hospitalizations may be major risk factor for increased cognitive decline in older adults

Emergency and urgent hospitalizations are associated with an increased rate of cognitive decline in older adults, report researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

11 Jan 2019

Early clinical assessments could reduce end-of-life hospitalizations for seniors

Better use of standard assessment tools could help long-term care homes identify which new residents are at risk of hospitalization or death in the first 90 days of admission.

8 Jan 2019

SIESTA project reduces sleep interruptions in hospitalized patients

Selective tinkering with the medical center's electronic health records (EHR) system, plus a 20-minute presentation to doctors and nurses on the consequences of in-hospital sleep deprivation, was able to change the behavior of caregivers in ways that allowed more patients to sleep undisturbed through the night.

8 Jan 2019

Cognition not affected by major heart procedure

Patients who undergo heart surgery do not experience major memory changes—either better or worse—when compared with those who have a much less invasive, catheter-based procedure, according to a study published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

18 Dec 2018

New study reveals best assessment tools to establish delirium severity

A study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals the best assessment tools available to establish the severity of diagnosed delirium in hospitalized patients. Delirium is a common, serious, and often preventable complication among older adult patients.

17 Dec 2018

Study highlights need for personalized approach to treat ICU acquired delirium

A population heath study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Center for Aging Research has determined that halo, did not benefit elective thoracic surgery ICU patients when given prophylactically, with the possible exception of those who have had surgery to remove their esophagus.

14 Dec 2018

SLU researcher seeks to find solutions for 'chemo brain' symptoms and side effects of opioids

With a pair of RO1 grants from the National Institutes of Health, pain researcher Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D., will embark on two new research projects, studying chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, or "chemo brain," symptoms and unwanted side effects of opioids.

23 Oct 2018

Vagus nerve stimulation can reverse brain inflammation after surgery, mice study shows

For adults over age 65, surgical complications can dampen not only their physical health but also their mental sharpness, with more than half of high-risk cases declining into delirium.

12 Oct 2018

New AUC published for lumbar puncture and spinal fluid analysis in Alzheimer's diagnosis

In preparation for more tools that detect and measure the biology associated with Alzheimer's and other dementias earlier and with more accuracy, an Alzheimer's Association-led Workgroup has published appropriate use criteria for lumbar puncture (spinal tap) and spinal fluid analysis in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

10 Oct 2018

Critical illness and major infection can promote brain changes, accelerate cognitive decline

Researchers at Johns Hopkins report that a novel analysis of more than a thousand patients adds to evidence that hospitalization, critical illness and major infection may diminish brain structures that are most commonly affected by Alzheimer's disease.

28 Sep 2018

Old letters provide insight into Spanish flu pandemic horror

An archive of letters written by those who survived the Spanish flu pandemic at the start of the last century shows what it was actually like to live during that time. The Spanish flu pandemic killed over 250,000 people in Britain alone and worldwide it wiped out a population of over 100 million.

23 Sep 2018

New online tools aid surgeons and specialists who care for older people

The American Board of Medical Specialties and the American Geriatrics Society, with funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation, today unveiled one of the field's first suites of online tools to aid surgeons and related medical sub-specialists who care for older people.

18 Sep 2018

Dementia patients could be experiencing pain they cannot communicate

A new study has found that patients with dementia who are in hospital and in pain are often unable to communicate that they are in pain.

4 Sep 2018

Impaired mental status linked to doubled risk of death after heart attack in elderly patients

Impaired mental status is associated with a doubled risk of death one year after a heart attack in elderly patients, according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2018.

27 Aug 2018

Researchers explore use of antipsychotic medications in older adults following heart surgery

Delirium is the medical term for an abrupt, rapid change in mental function that goes well beyond the typical forgetfulness of aging.

21 Aug 2018

Lighter sedation fails to reduce risk of postoperative delirium in older patients

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say a study designed to see if reducing the amount of anesthesia reduces the risk of postoperative delirium in older patients surprisingly found that lighter sedation failed to do so in severely ill people undergoing hip fracture repair.

13 Aug 2018

FDA requires safety labeling changes for fluoroquinolones to strengthen warnings on adverse reactions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is requiring safety labeling changes for a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones to strengthen the warnings about the risks of mental health side effects and serious blood sugar disturbances, and make these warnings more consistent across the labeling for all fluoroquinolones taken by mouth or given by injection.

11 Jul 2018