delirium
Let an agent explain delirium and its forms in general terms from clinical guidelines, describe causes, recognition and management, present the excited delirium controversy with attribution, and route anyone affected to urgent medical care.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain delirium and its forms in general terms from clinical guidelines, describe causes, recognition and management, present the excited delirium controversy with attribution, and route anyone affected to urgent medical care.
An acute disturbance of attention, awareness and cognition that develops over hours or days and fluctuates, caused by medical conditions, drugs, withdrawal or surgery, presenting as hyperactive, hypoactive or mixed forms, including delirium tremens from alcohol withdrawal, drug-induced delirium and subacute forms; delirium is common in hospitalised older people, is a medical emergency signalling an underlying cause, and is treated by addressing the cause and supportive care, while the term excited delirium is contested and rejected by several medical bodies.
What it is for: Not applicable; a clinical syndrome.
It can be explain the syndrome and forms; relay causes and management; present contested terms with attribution; route to urgent care.
Distinguishing features
Acute onset and fluctuation
Inattention
Underlying cause
Preventable in part
What it looks like
Not a visible object; acute confusion and altered awareness.
Physical character
prevalence in hospitalised older adults: about 20-30 percent - estimates
ICU delirium prevalence: up to about 80 percent - ventilated patients
How it is recognised
Acute fluctuating confusion
Hyperactive, hypoactive, mixed, delirium tremens, drug-induced
Dementia is chronic; psychosis has other features; excited delirium is a contested label
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
is a kind of - in registry terms
is caused by - or drugs and withdrawal
is contrasted with - a chronic decline
In practice
Families and kinds
hyperactive delirium
hypoactive delirium
mixed delirium
delirium tremens
drug-induced and psychopharmacological delirium
postoperative and ICU delirium
subacute delirium
excited delirium as a contested term
Identifiers
ICD-11 6D70 delirium
MeSH D003693
Standards and regulation
NICE and other delirium guidelines
DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria
Positions of medical bodies rejecting excited delirium as a diagnosis
Failure modes and hazards
Missed underlying causes
Agents giving personal medical advice
Misuse of excited delirium in custody deaths, as reported
Confusing with dementia
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.delirium
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Help Getting help first.
Safety.
Emergency
Emergency.
Emergency
Emergency.
- Why is sudden confusion a medical emergency, and what should be done? action
- Is the user describing someone acutely confused, which needs urgent medical care now? boundary
Care
Hospital care.
Care
Care.
- How is delirium assessed and managed in hospital, in general terms? provenance
- Is the user asking about a specific patient, which needs their clinicians? boundary
Understand The syndrome.
Clinical.
Definition
Definition and forms.
Definition
Definition.
- What is delirium, and how do its forms differ? definition
- Is the question about delirium, dementia or psychosis? boundary
Causes
Causes.
Causes
Causes.
- What causes delirium, including infection, drugs, withdrawal and surgery? provenance
- Which entry fits the specific form? action
Manage Prevention and management.
Clinical.
Prevention
Prevention.
Prevention
Prevention.
- What prevention measures do guidelines recommend in hospitals and care homes? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Treatment
Treatment.
Treatment
Treatment.
- How is delirium treated, and what is the role of medication, per guidelines? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Context Controversy and outcomes.
Attribution.
Excited
Excited delirium.
Excited
Excited.
- What is the controversy over excited delirium, and what have medical bodies and inquiries concluded, with positions attributed? provenance
- Is the presentation attributed and neutral? boundary
Outcomes
Outcomes and research.
Outcomes
Outcomes.
- What are the long-term outcomes of delirium, and what research is ongoing? provenance
- Which entry fits delirium research? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should delirium tremens be a separate primary entry?
- How should guidelines be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases including a contested term; should it be annotated or split off?