North Carolina Neurological Foundation (NCNF)

Delirium Due To Another Medical Condition

Delirium due to another medical condition arises when acute cognitive disturbances are directly attributable to identifiable medical or neurological illnesses. Etiologies include infections, metabolic disturbances, hypoxia, organ failure, and post-surgical complications. Clinically, patients exhibit fluctuating attention deficits, disorientation, perceptual disturbances, and psychomotor abnormalities corresponding to the underlying illness. Diagnosis necessitates thorough medical evaluation, laboratory testing, and sometimes neuroimaging to confirm causality. Management involves treating the underlying condition, providing supportive care, and minimizing pharmacologic contributors. Prognosis varies with severity and timeliness of treatment, with early intervention generally resulting in favorable outcomes.