What is cognition.
The brain’s ability to process, retain, and use information
What is delirium?
Syndrome that involves a disturbance of consciousness accompanied by a change in cognition
Develops over a short period of time
Sometimes a matter of hours and can fluctuate/change throughout a day
Autonomic Manifestations
- Tachycardia, sweating, flushed face, dilated pupils, elevated blood pressure.
what are the Cognitive abilities
Reasoning, judgment, perception, attention, comprehension, and memory
Essential for many important tasks like making decisions, solving problems, interpreting the environment, and learning new information
Intoxication or withdrawal
Drugs
Stress
Sleep deprivation
Emotional disturbances
What is a cognitive disorder?
Disruption or impairment in these higherlevel functions of the brain
Devastating effects on the ability to function in daily life
What are the drugs that can cause delirium
Anesthesia, Anticonvulsants, Anticholinergics, Antidepressants Antihistamines Antihypertensives, Antipsychotics, Aspirin, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Cardiac glycosides, Cimetidine (Tagamet), Hypoglycemic agents, Insulin, Narcotics, Propranolol (Inderal), Reserpine Steroids, Thiazide diuretics
What are sypmtoms?
Difficulty sustaining and shifting attention , Extreme distractibility , Disorganized thinking ,Speech is rambling, irrelevant, pressured, and incoherent, Impaired reasoning ability and goal-directed behavior,Disorientation to time and place, Impairment of recent memory, Misperceptions about the environment, including illusions and hallucinations ,Disturbance in level of consciousness, with interruption of the sleepwake cycle , Psychomotor activity that fluctuates between agitation and restlessness and vegetative state , Emotional instability
What are comorbidities?
Dehydration , electrolyte imbalance, infection, hepatic encephalopathy, metabolic disorders, tumors , B12 deficiency