Prevention, recognition and management of delirium in patients who are critically ill
Intended for healthcare professionals
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Prevention, recognition and management of delirium in patients who are critically ill

Jaime Hyde-Wyatt Critical care outreach sister, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, Scunthorpe, England

Delirium is common in patients who are critically ill, often resulting in extended hospital stays and increased mortality and morbidity. There are several subtypes of delirium, which are often undiagnosed and untreated, resulting in suboptimal patient outcomes. This article examines delirium in patients in the intensive care unit, including its signs and symptoms, incidence, causes and subtypes. It outlines the assessment of delirium and the pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that can be used to manage the condition, as well as describing the optimal prevention measures.

Nursing Standard. 32, 6, 41-52. doi: 10.7748/ns.2017.e10667

Correspondence

Jaime.hyde-wyatt@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Received: 13 July 2016

Accepted: 08 August 2016

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