Symptom: Delirium
Delirium: Severe mental deterioration
Introduction: A person with delirium has little in the way of rational consciousness. There is no ability to carry on a conversation in any coherent manner, and indeed a delirious person may not even know you are there. True delirium needs to be distinguished from other symptoms such as dementia, delusions, hallucinations, psychosis or dissociation symptoms.
Detailed cause information for symptom: Delirium:
Medical articles on symptoms: These general medical articles may be of interest:
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Symptoms and Medical Malpractice
- Medical mistakes and their rates, causes and prevention
- Deaths and sudden death
Symptoms related to Delirium: dementia (19), syncope (140), stupor (7), coma (32)
Symptoms: symptom center, symptom groups, symptom descriptions
Possible causes of symptom: Delirium: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Delirium as a symptom. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.
- High fever (see Fever)
- Mental and emotional conditions:
- Postpartum psychosis
- Postoperative stress
- Mental stress
- Mental exhaustion
- Certain infections
- Toxic causes of delirium include:
- Alcoholism - causes Delirium tremens (DT)
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Delirium tremens
- Wernicke's encephalopathy
- Certain poisons
- Drug overdose (type of Adverse reaction)
- drug withdrawal
- Substance intoxication
- Marijuana
- Substance withdrawal
- Drug interactions (type of Adverse reaction)
- Hypoglycemia
- Brain disorders
- Epilepsy
- Status epilepticus (type of Epilepsy)
- Post-ictal states
- Brain bleeding (see Brain symptoms)
- Intracranial bleeding (see Brain symptoms)
- Head injury
- Subdural hematoma
- Brain tumor
- Cerebral infarction
- Hypertensive encephalopathy
- Venous sinus thrombosis
- Brain infection
- Meningitis
- Encephalitis
- Brain abscess
- Cerebral malaria (type of Malaria)
- Neurocysticercosis
- Heart disorders
- Heart failure
- Respiratory failure
- Stroke
- Hypoxia
- Certain metabolic disorders
- Liver failure
- Kidney failure
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Endocrinopathies
- Nutritional deficiency
- Certain infections
- Brain infection
- Vasculitis
- Chest infection
- Urinary tract infection
- Surgical wound infection
- IV line infection
- Other symptoms or medical conditions that may also need to be considered or may be imprecisely described as delirium include:
- Dementia
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- psychosis symptoms - see causes of psychosis or types of psychotic disorders
- Dissociative symptoms - such as from dissociative disorders
- Certain drugs or substances
- Substance-induced delirium
- Drug interactions (type of Adverse reaction)
- See also causes of confusion or cause of dementia
Medications or substances causing Delirium: The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Delirium as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
- Substance intoxication
- Alcohol
- Alcoholism - causes Delirium tremens (DT)
- Opiates
- Marijuana
- Amphetamines
- Cocaine
- Hallucinogens
- Inhalant abuse
- Opioids
- Phencyclidine
- Sedatives
- Hypnotics
- Anxiolytics
- Substance withdrawal
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Sedative withdrawal
- Hypnotic withdrawal
- Anxiolytic withdrawal
- Certain medications
- Anticholinergics
- Cimetidine
- Corticosteroids
- Anxiolytics
- Anticonvulsants
- Digoxin
- Dopaminergic agonists
- Medication interaction
- Drug interactions
- Drug withdrawal
Conditions listing symptoms: Delirium: The following list of conditions have 'Delirium' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Conditions listing complications: Delirium: The following list of conditions have 'Delirium' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Related medical articles for Delirium:
Last revised: May 10, 2004
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