Biography
Biography: Susan B LeGrand
Abstract
Delirium is a neuropsychiatric diagnosis that is very common in general medical and surgical populations but of particular importance in palliative medicine. The incidence in this population ranges from 28-88% depending on the stage of illness with the higher number occurring at end-of-life. It is a clinical syndrome with myriad presentations often divided in to motoric subtypes-hypoactive, hyperactive and mixed. It is underdiagnosed particularly the hypoactive subgroup which may be more common in the palliative medicine population. The presence of delirium is a predictor of increased morbidity and mortality, longer hospitalization and more likely discharge to a nursing facility. This presentation will review the pathophysiology, etiology, diagnosis and treatment of delirium in the palliative medicine population.