Delirium

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Information on Delirium

What is delirium?

Delirium is a state of mental confusion that starts suddenly and is caused by a physical condition of some sort. You don’t know where you are, what time it is, or what’s happening to you. It is also called an 'acute confusional state'.

What does delirium feel like?

It often starts suddenly and usually lifts when the condition causing it gets better. It can be frightening – not only for the person who is unwell, but also for those around him or her.

You may:

  • not notice what is going on around you
  • be unsure about where you are or what you are doing there
  • be unable to follow a conversation or to speak clearly
  • be very agitated or restless, unable to sit still and wander around
  • be very slow or sleepy
  • sleep during the day, but wake up at night
  • have moods that change quickly – you can feel frightened, anxious, depressed or irritable
  • have vivid dreams – these can be frightening and may carry on when you wake up
  • worry that other people are trying to harm you
  • hear noises or voices when there is nothing or no one to cause them.
  • see people or things that aren’t there.

What causes delirium?

Medical problems, surgery and medications can all cause delirium. Common causes include: a urine or chest infection, having a high temperature, malaria, dehydration, low salt levels, low haemoglobin (anaemia), suddenly stopping drugs or alcohol, major surgery, epilepsy, brain injury or infection, terminal illness, constipation, side-effects of medicine like pain killers and steroids, liver or kidney problems

How can I get help for delirium?

If someone becomes suddenly confused they need to see a doctor urgently. Once a physical cause has been identified, it needs to be treated. For example, a urine infection will be treated with antibiotics.

Simple steps can be taken to help them feel safer and less agitated. These include:

  • explaining to the person what has happened, and why they feel confused
  • reassuring them that they are safe
  • helping them to know what time it is and where they are - a large clock and a written message about where they are can be helpful
  • having familiar items from home around the bedside
  • having friends and family visit
  • making sure that someone has their glasses and hearing aids – and that they are working!

Medication

Some people become so distressed that medication may be needed to calm them down.  Sedative medications may do this but, unfortunately, they also make the delirium worse so they should only be prescribed if the person:

  • becomes a danger to themselves or other people
  • is very agitated or anxious
  • believes others are trying to harm them
  • is seeing or hearing things that are not there – low doses of anti-psychotic medication can help
  • needs calming down so that they can have important investigations or treatment
  • is someone who usually drinks a lot of alcohol and has stopped suddenly – to stop them having fits, they will need a regular dose of a sedative medication (a benzodiazepine), reduced over several days under close medical and nursing supervision.

Any sedative medication should be given at the lowest possible dose, for the shortest possible time.

Tips for families, partners and carers

You can help them to feel calmer, and more in control, if you:

  • stay calm
  • talk to them in short, simple sentences and check that they have understood you
  • repeat things if necessary
  • remind them of what is happening and how they are doing
  • remind them of the time and date – make sure they can see a clock or a calendar
  • listen to them and reassure them
  • make sure they have their glasses and hearing aid
  • help them to eat and drink
  • try to make sure that someone they know well is with them – this is often most important during the evening, when confusion often gets worse
  • if they are in hospital, bring in some familiar objects from home
  • have a light on at night so that they can see where they are if they wake up

Uthenga okhudzana ndi matenda obaizika

Kodi deliriyamu ndi matenda anji?

Deliriyamu ndi matenda amene munthu amasokonekera maganizo komanso zochitika mwadzidzidzi kapena mosayembekezera. Deliriyamu imayamba kamba ka matenda omwe ali kale mthupi. Munthu sadzindikira komwe ali, nthawi, komanso zomwe zikumuchitikira.

Kodi zizindikiro za matendawa adeliriyamu ndi chani?

Matendewa amangoyamba mosayembekezeleka nthawi zambiri ndipo amatha ngati munthu wachira ku matenda omwe anayambitsa. Deliriyamu imabweretsa mantha osati kwa odwala yekha komanso achibale kapena anzake.

Muthu amatha:

  • Kusadzindikira zomwe zikuchitika
  • Kusadziwa kumene ali kapena zomwe akupanga
  • kusatsatira zomwe zikulankhulidwa kapena kusatha kulankhula bwino kumene
  • Kusakhazikika, kuvutisa, komanso kumangoyendayenda.
  • Kukhala ndi tulo tambiri makamaka masana
  • Kugona masana koma kukhala maso usiku.
  • Kukhala muma mudi osintha pafupipafupi. angathenso kukhala ndi mantha, kukhumudwa komaso kukwiya mwansanga.
  • Kulota maloto oopsa omwe angampangitse kukhala ndi mantha aakulu.
  • Kukhala ndi malingaliro oti anthu akufuna kumupanga chiwembu. Kumva phokoso kapena mau pamene palibe amene akuyankhula kapena kupanga phokosolo.
  • Kuona anthu kapena zinthu zomwe palibepo.

Kodi chimayambitsa matenda obaizika ndi chani?

Matenda omwe ali kale mthupi, ma opaleshoni komanso mankhwala zingapangitse munthu Deliriyamu. Nthawi zambiri zomwe zimayambitsa ndi: matenda a muchikhodzodzo kapena mchifuwa, kutentha kwa thupi, Malungo, kuchepa kwa madzi mthupi, kuchepa kwa michele mthupi, kuchepa kwa magazi, kusiya mowa kapena mankhwala mosayembekezeleka, ma opaleshoni akuluakulu, khunyu, kuvulala kapena matenda amu ubongo, matenda a kayakaya, kusapita kuchimbudzi, mavuto odza ndi mankhwala monga ochepetsa ululu, vuto la impso komanso la chiwindi.

Kodi ndingapeze bwanji thandizo lokhudzana ndi matendawa?

Ngati munthu wabaizika ayenera kumutengera kuchipatala mwamsanga. Matenda omwe ayambitsa kubaizika akangopezekeka, ayenera kulandira thandizo la nthendayo. Mwachisanzo, matenda a mchikhodzodzo ayenera kupasidwa mankhwala ake (antibiotics).

Ndondomeko zophweka zoti titsatile pothandiza muthu yemwe wabaizika kuti asakhale pa chiopsezo komanso asakhale onthuthumira. Ndondomekozo ndi izi:

  • Mlongosoleleni munthuyo chomwe chachitika, komanso ndichifukwa chani wabaizika.
  • Alimbikitseni kuti sali pa chiopsezo.
  • Athandizeni kudziwa nthawi komanso malo omwe iwo ali.
  • Ikani zinthu zomwe amaziona pafupipafupi kunyumba kwao pambali pawo
  • Limbikitsani kuti abale ndi azinzawo adzizawaona
  • Ngati amagwiritsa ntchito magalasi poona kapena zida zothanzira kumva, onenetsetsani ku zili ndi munthu wina pafupi komanso zikugwira bwino ntchito yake.

Mankhwala

Anthu ena amatha kusakhazikika ndi vutoli ndipo mankhwala angathe kuwathandiza kuwakhazikitsa mtima pansi. Mankhwala ogonetsa angathe kuthandiza angakhale angathenso kupititsa patsogolo vuto la Deliriyamu. Kotero ayenera kupasidwa kwa odwala ngati wodwalayo:

  • wasanduka chiopsezo kwa moyo wake kapena kwa miyoyo ya anthu ena
  • wavutika kwambiri moti sakukhazikika kapenanso akunthunthumira
  • akuganiza kuti anthu ena akufuna kumupanga chiwembu
  • akuona kapena kumva zinthu zimene palibepo-mankhwala othana ndi matenda a misala omwe ali a mlingo wochepelapo atha kuthandidza
  • mpofunika kukhazikitsa mtima pansi ndi cholinga choti matenda omwe ayambitsa vutolo afufuzidwe komanso kuthandizidwa
  • ngati ndi munthu woti amamwa mowa kwambiri ndiye wangosiya mwadzidzidzi-kuchepetsa kuti asagwe khunyu, ayenera kulandira mankhwala ogonetsa (benzodiazepine), namamuchepetsera mulingo wake pakamapita masiku angapo mbali inayi madokotala ndi anamwino akumuyang’anira bwino lomwe.

Mankhwala ali onse ogonetsa ayenera kupatsidwa pa mlingo ochepetsetsa komanso kwa masiku ochepa

Malangizo kwa achibale, okondedwa komanso omuthangatila munthu odwalayo

Mutha kumuthandiza wodwalayo kuti mtima wake ukhale pansi komanso kupanga zinthu payekha ngati:

  • inuyo mwakhazikitsa mtima wanu pansi
  • mukulankhula naye mkanthawi kochepa, modekha komanso kuonetsetsa kuti akukumvetsetsani.
  • Bwerenzani kuyankhula ngati nkofunikira
  • Akumbutseni pa zomwe zikuchitika ndiponso mmene iwowo akupezerako
  • Akumbutseni za nthawi ndi tsiku-ngati nkotheka aonetseni wochi kapena kalendala
  • Mvetserani kwa iwo ndipo apatseni chikhulupiliro
  • Onetsetsani kuti magalasi awo komanso zomwe amagwiritsa ntchito pomvetsera mwapatsa ndipo zikugwira ntchito bwino lomwe
  • Athandizeni kuti adye komanso amwe madzi
  • Onetsetsani kuti munthu amene iwowo amamudziwa kwambiri ali pafupi nawo.
  • Ngati ali kuchipatala, abweletsereni zinthu zimene amazionaona
  • Onetsetsani kuti mwayatsa magetsi kapena nyali usiku onse ndicholinga choti akadzuka azindikire kumene ali.