Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Delirium risk factors
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Common risk factors associated with delirium include older age, dementia, hypertension, emergency surgery or trauma before ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, metabolic acidosis, delirium on the prior day , coma.
Risk Factors
Risk Factors
Common risk factors associated with delirium include:[1]
- Older age
- Dementia
- Hypertension
- Emergency surgery or trauma before ICU admission
- Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) score
- Mechanical ventilation
- Metabolic acidosis
- Delirium on the prior day of admission
- Coma
Modifiable Risk Factors
- Impaired sensation (vision, hearing)
- Urinary catheters insertion or physical restraints
- Medications such as sedative hypnotics, narcotics, anticholinergic drugs, corticosteroid, polypharmacy
- Withdrawal of alcohol or other drugs
- Acute neurological impairment such as acute stroke (right parietal), intracranial hemorrhage, meningitis, encephalitis
- Infectious disease, iatrogenic complications, severe acute illness, anemia, dehydration, poor nutritional status, fracture, trauma, HIV infection
- Metabolic impairment
- Surgery
- Intensive care unit admission
- Pain
- Emotional stress
- Lack of sleep
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors
References
References
- ↑ Zaal, Irene J.; Devlin, John W.; Peelen, Linda M.; Slooter, Arjen J. C. (2015). “A Systematic Review of Risk Factors for Delirium in the ICU*”. Critical Care Medicine. 43 (1): 40–47. doi:10.1097/CCM.0000000000000625. ISSN 0090-3493.
- ↑ “Delirium in elderly adults: diagnosis, prevention and treatment”.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sara Zand, M.D.[2] Pratik Bahekar, MBBS [3]; Vishal Khurana, M.B.B.S., M.D. [4]