Sections
History and Mental Status Examination | Clinical Features on Evaluation | Physical Examination | Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests
Excerpt
Francis et al. (1990) noted in their study that
56% of delirious patients had a single definite or probable
etiology and that the remaining 44% had an average of 2.8
etiologies per patient. The gold standard for diagnosis of delirium
is the neuropsychiatric clinical assessment. Sources of information
for diagnosis of delirium include input from nursing staff and family
members before seeing the patient. The chart and accompanying records
offer information on history of delirium, current disorders, medication,
sleep, and behavior (e.g., nursing notes).