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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffDelirium may last only a few hours or as long as several weeks or months. If factors contributing to delirium are addressed, the recovery time is often shorter.
The degree of recovery depends to some extent on the health and mental status of a person before the onset of delirium. People with dementia, for example, may experience a significant overall decline in memory and thinking skills or a more rapid decline in skills. People in better health are more likely to recover fully.
People with other serious, chronic or terminal illnesses may not regain their pre-delirium levels of thinking skills or functional abilities. Delirium in seriously ill people is also more likely to lead to:
- A general decline in health
- Poor recovery from surgery
- A need for institutional care
- An increased risk of death
- Delirium. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Dec. 8, 2009.
- Inouye SK. Delirium in older persons. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006;354:1157.
- Gleason OC. Delirium. American Family Physician. 2003;67:1027.
- Saxena S, et al. Delirium in the elderly: A clinical review. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2009;85:405.
- Francis J, et al. Diagnosis of delirium and confusional states. http://www.uptodate.com/index.html. Accessed Dec. 8, 2009.
- Potter J, et al. The prevention, diagnosis and management of delirium in older people: Concise guidelines. Clinical Medicine. 2006;6:303.
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