Delirium: A Current Review

Abstract

Delirium (acute confusional state) is a pathology of sudden and fluctuating onset, characterized by disorders of consciousness, a decreased in attention and cognitive function. The pathophysiology of delirium is multifactorial, characterized by either acetylcholine deficiency, dopamine excess or both. The diagnosis can only be made clinically, by means of a clinical history and appropriate physical examination. Treatment is based on the control of the underlying cause of delirium, which can be accompanied by pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. Mortality in a patient with delirium is 44%, so a rapid and efficient diagnosis, management and treatment are needed. A search was performed in the Web of Science and PubMed databases, using bibliography from 2016 to 2020. The search terms used were: delirium, physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment. A total of 128 articles were found. The selection criteria were: original articles, with available references, from refereed publications, less than five years old, updated articles on prevention, diagnosis and treatment, which had a relevant contribution to this research. After submitting these texts to the selection criteria, 32 articles were obtained.