JAMA Internal Medicine: Delirium Topic Collection

Drugs May Exacerbate Cognitive Decline After Delirium in People With Dementia

Bell J. — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Gross et al reported that those who developed in-hospital delirium experienced cognitive deterioration at twice the rate in the following year compared with those who did not develop delirium. The authors adjusted their analyses for a range of clinically important factors. However, the study did not consider the impact of prescribed drugs.

Delirium Admissions in Dementia

Regal PJ. — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Gross and colleagues wrote an interesting article on hospital admissions in patients with Alzheimer disease 65 years or older who visited the Massachusetts Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) at least 3 times. The key to their article is the accuracy of discharge coding for delirium in hospital medical charts.

The Meaning of Delirium

Bellelli G, Morandi A, Trabucchi M. — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

We read with interest the Invited Commentary by Vasilevskis and Ely entitled “The Danger of Delirium” on the article by Gross and colleagues evaluating delirium and long-term cognitive trajectories in patients with dementia. We agree with the authors' indication on the need to preserve the “functional integrity of the brain,” and we want to highlight the importance to identify the most appropriate means to reach this objective, since we still currently lack information on the pathological basis explaining the negative long-term effects of delirium.

The Meaning of Delirium—Reply

Gross AL, Jones RN, Inouye SK. — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

In reply