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.

AGS honors IU professor for outstanding achievement in geriatric care

In recognition of his significant contributions to the health care of older adults, Regenstrief Institute investigator Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, associate professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, will receive the 2012 American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award.

15 Feb 2012

Study: Up to 30% of patients hospitalized after a stroke develop delirium

Up to 30 per cent of patients hospitalized after a stroke develop delirium, according to a new study from St. Michael's Hospital.

20 Jan 2012

Mosquito borne Murray Valley Encephalitis warnings for NSW and North Victoria

The NSW Health authorities are warning residents and visitors in southern and western NSW to take extra precautions and protect themselves against mosquitoes following the detection of the Murray Valley Encephalitis (or MVE) virus in NSW. Residents and visitors to North Victoria are also similarly warned.

1 Jan 2012

Patients on contact precautions more likely to develop delirium during hospital stay

A new study finds that patients who are moved into isolation during a hospital stay are nearly twice as likely to develop delirium, a potentially dangerous change in mental status that often affects hospital patients. Patients who began their stay in isolation were not at increased risk.

13 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Premium support disadvantages; GOP candidates & the individual mandate; Stop fight over high court recusals?

Republican politicians are touting the virtues of market competition and calling for a "premium support" plan that would give beneficiaries a set amount of money to shop among private plans for their own insurance. What they do not say is that private plans have long been more costly than traditional Medicare and have shown far less ability to slow spending.

5 Dec 2011

UL researchers to develop a medical device to improve detection of delirium

Researchers at the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick (GEMS) have been awarded €175,000 funding to develop a portable automated device that can be used in any clinical or community setting to allow early diagnosis and treatment of delirium.

30 Nov 2011

Important clues to prevention and management of delirium are being ignored

Important clues to the prevention and management of delirium, a condition affecting an estimated 7 million hospitalized Americans, are being ignored, according to a study from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine.

18 Nov 2011

New framework to improve care for patients with delirium

A new national plan of action provides a roadmap for improving the care of patients with delirium, a poorly understood and often unrecognized brain condition that affects approximately seven million hospitalized Americans each year.

18 Nov 2011

Delirium may increase risk of death in elderly hospital patients

Hospital patients over 65 who are referred for a psychiatric consultation and found to have delirium are more likely than those without delirium to die within one year following diagnosis, according to a new study published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.

11 Nov 2011

J&JPRD submits NUCYNTA ER sNDA to FDA for DPN associated neuropathic pain

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. announced today that it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for NUCYNTA ER (tapentadol) extended-release tablets, an oral analgesic, for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in adults.

31 Oct 2011

Reducing elderly patients' mobility does not prevent hospital falls

In 2008, as part of a larger initiative aimed at reducing preventable hospital errors and lowering costs, Medicare stopped reimbursing for the treatment of injuries related to in-hospital falls.

29 Oct 2011

Physiological changes, chronic illness make older adults more susceptible to illness during disasters

In a summer with unprecedented weather events, from tornados, floods, fires and hurricanes, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing found that physiological changes associated with aging and the presence of chronic illness make older adults more susceptible to illness or injury, even death, during a disaster.

22 Oct 2011

PACBIS tool may help identify pre-surgical behaviors in parents, children

A clinical study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2011 highlighted a behavioral assessment tool that may help anesthesia providers identify pre-surgical behaviors in parents and children that lead to maladaptive behaviors in children after surgery.

19 Oct 2011

Inhaled anesthetics do not increase incidence of postoperative delirium

A study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2011 in Chicago this week offered firm evidence that commonly used inhaled anesthetics such as isoflurane do not increase the incidence of postoperative delirium, which can affect how well some patients recover after surgery.

18 Oct 2011

Hospitalization for an acute event can lead to long-term institutionalization

Confirming many elderly patients' worst fears, a national study has shown that being hospitalized for an acute event, such as a stroke or hip fracture, can lead to long-term institutionalization in a nursing home. Equally alarming, researchers found that direct discharge to a skilled nursing facility -- a common practice designed to reduce hospital stays -- put patients at "extremely high risk" of needing long-term nursing home care.

4 Oct 2011

Methylphenidate drug may induce arousal from general anesthesia

Administration of the commonly used stimulant drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) was able to speed recovery from general anesthesia in an animal study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital.

22 Sep 2011

FDA approves Covidien's morphine sulfate oral solution for chronic pain in opioid-tolerant patients

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted approval to the company's Mallinckrodt business for morphine sulfate oral solution, used to relieve moderate to severe acute and chronic pain in opioid-tolerant patients. The solution will be available as a generic in 100 milligrams per 5 mL (20 milligrams per 1 mL).

1 Aug 2011

Current prevention strategies may not be very effective at reducing in-hospital falls

While falls are a common cause of injury, particularly in older, hospitalized patients, some may not be as preventable as once thought. According to a new literature review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, many of the risks that frequently cause falls are not adequately addressed with the fall prevention initiatives used in healthcare facilities.

7 Jul 2011

Older adults with cognitive impairment need better healthcare in ED

More needs to be done to improve the care that older adults with cognitive impairment - including dementia and delirium - receive when they visit hospital emergency departments, according to a research review in the July issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

6 Jul 2011

New insights into 'sundowning' syndrome

New research provides the best evidence to date that the late-day anxiety and agitation sometimes seen in older institutionalized adults, especially those with dementia, has a biological basis in the brain.

28 Jun 2011