The unrecognized costs of delirium
C Dennis Barton and J Raymond DePaulo
This article has no abstract so we have provided the first paragraph of the full text.
Delirium is the great psychiatric masquerader. Although typically characterized by a change in cognition in the setting of an impaired level of consciousness, this condition can present with a variety of abnormal mental experiences, such as mood changes, hallucinations or delusions. Despite the availability of relevant screening tools such as the Mini Mental State Examination, delirium is often mistaken for other psychiatric conditions, including dementia, schizophrenia and depression. The development of delirium has been observed to lengthen hospital stays, increase morbidity, and complicate transitions from inpatient to outpatient care.
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