UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Geriatrics

Title: delirium in the elderly

Keywords: UTI, infection, delirium (PubMed Search)

Posted: 9/7/2009 by Amal Mattu, MD (Updated: 10/9/2024)
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The most common cause of delirium in the elderly is infection, and the most common type of infection is just a simple UTI. The second most common cause of delirium is medication effects. ALWAYS look carefully for signs of infection and look carefully at medication lists whenever evaluating an elderly patient with a change in mental status.