Coursework.Info - Inspiration in an Instant

On the left is an image preview of every page of this document, and below are the first 150 words with formatting removed:

Acute confusion and the hospitalised elder Introduction This essay explores acute confusion in elderly hospital patients. It was found that a high proportion of hospitalised elders develop acute confusion, with some studies indicating incidence levels may be as high as 50% (Inouye 2000). Elders that develop acute confusion, or delirium, have longer hospital stays, increased mortality, and are less likely to resume independent life in the community than their non-confused counterparts (Inouye 2000, Aditya & Sharma 2003). Elements that contribute to the development of delirium in elders were next examined to find that elders accumulate a number of predisposing factors through the ageing process. They have reduced physical reserves, more chronic illnesses, and are often prescribed multiple drugs for their conditions; all of which make them more vulnerable to minor precipitating events. Precipitating events that can induce delirium in the elderly may not cause delirium in younger, more...

Get instant access

• Instant, unlimited access to our documents in full
• Swap your work for free access, or pay £4.99
• To see the full version of this document and 147,231 others

OR

Receive email updates for this category

• Simply tell us your email address and receive a weekly Study Help Email for FREE
• Receive 3 FREE essay views with each email
• Get all the latest essays from Coursework.Info & discussion from TheStudentRoom.co.uk