Delirium Detection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) have been linked to dementia and delirium. The more aware people are about symptoms, the more they may be able to prevent these infections, according to a story out Thursday...

People with dementia are not more likely than their same-age peers to develop severe COVID-19 or die from the disease — but they are more likely to experience delirium, according to a new study.

Early steps must be taken to detect and address delirium in older adults with COVID-19, says physician and researcher Sharon Inouye, M.D., MPH. Delirium is not included in the CDC’s case report criteria...

Almost a third of older emergency department patients who were subsequently diagnosed with COVID had delirium at admission, investigators say. And many had no other COVID symptoms, such as cough or fever.

Positive delirium screenings in new SNF residents often lead to inappropriate dementia diagnoses — even in those who are cognitively healthy, investigators contend.

A new delirium detection tool could reduce hospital-to-nursing home transfers and help identify at-risk seniors, researchers say.