Medicine

Patient information for Translation

Delirium

Whipps Cross Hospital

This leaflet provides information about delirium for patients and their relatives and carers. It explains what delirium is, who may be at risk, and how those affected can be supported in hospital.

What is delirium?

Delirium is a sudden change in somebody’s brain function that can happen for a wide variety of reasons. It can last for days, weeks or months.

Am I likely to develop delirium in hospital?

Anyone can develop delirium in severe illness, but certain people (such as older adults, or people with multiple long-term health conditions) can also be at risk of delirium from milder causes. Lots of these causes of delirium may be related to hospital admission: pain, infection, surgery, dehydration, or being constipated or unable to pass urine. Sometimes a change in environment alone is enough to bring on delirium. Your hospital team will address these causes when treating your delirium.

If you develop delirium, you might:

• Experience a sudden change in behaviour or mental state
• Develop problems with your memory, especially short-term memory
• Find it difficult to concentrate and difficult to understand what is being said to you
• Become restless or agitated – or the opposite, becoming sleepy or lethargic
• Feel disoriented, not knowing where you are or what time of day it is
• Sleep or wake at different times from usual
• Feel paranoid or distrustful of others
• Experience hallucinations, seeing or hearing things that are not really there

What can my relatives and carers do to support me if I develop delirium while I am in hospital?

• Visit regularly to reduce the unfamiliarity of being in hospital
• Be with you when you receive personal care from nurses, such as washing or changing
• Bring in your favourite foods and eat with you at mealtimes
• Talk to you about memories or look at photos. This can be calming and reassuring
• Talk slowly and clearly with you about familiar topics which can be calming. When someone is delirious, we suggest relatives do not contradict them, as this can increase agitation
• Inform ward staff of any concerns about pain or constipation - often relatives are the first to notice
• Bring in any glasses or hearing aids

Will I get better?

Delirium often gets better quickly but can sometimes take weeks or months to get fully better. Once delirium starts to get better, your team may start thinking about how to get you home, where delirium often improves more quickly. For this reason, sometimes people are not fully recovered by the time they leave hospital. Sometimes people need additional memory assessments after an episode of delirium. Your hospital team will decide if you need this.

Where can I get more information?

As well as approaching ward staff to discuss any concerns, the following people have useful information:

• Whipps Cross Delirium and Dementia team: 0208 539 5522 (ext. 5096 or 6403)
• Carers UK: 0808 808 7777
• Age UK Advice Line: 0800 169 6565
• Royal College of Psychiatrists website: rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/delirium

Large print and other languages
This information can be made available in alternative formats, such as easy read or large print, and may be available in alternative languages, upon request. For more information, speak to your clinical team.
 

এই তথ্যগুলো সহজে পড়া যায় অথবা বৃহৎ প্রিন্টের মত বিকল্প ফরম্যাটে পাওয়া যাবে, এবং অনুরোধে অন্য ভাষায়ও পাওয়া যেতে পারে। আরো তথ্যের জন্য আপনার ক্লিনিক্যাল টিমের সাথে কথা বলুন।

Na żądanie te informacje mogą zostać udostępnione w innych formatach, takich jak zapis większą czcionką lub łatwą do czytania, a także w innych językach. Aby uzyskać więcej informacji, porozmawiaj ze swoim zespołem specjalistów.

Macluumaadkaan waxaa loo heli karaa qaab kale, sida ugu akhrinta ugu fudud, ama far waa weyn, waxana laga yabaa in lagu heli luuqaado Kale, haddii la codsado. Wixii macluumaad dheeraad ah, kala hadal kooxda xarunta caafimaadka.

Bu bilgi, kolay okunurluk veya büyük baskılar gibi alternatif biçimlerde sunulabilir, ve talep üzerine Alternatif Dillerde sunulabilir. Daha fazla bilgi için klinik ekibinizle irtibata geçin.

یہ معلومات متبادل فارمیٹس میں دستیاب کی جا سکتی ہیں، جیسا کہ پڑھنے میں آسان یا بڑا پرنٹ  اور درخواست پر متبادل زبانوں میں بھی دستیاب ہو سکتی ہیں۔ مزید معلومات کے لیے، اپنی کلینکل ٹیم سے بات کریں'۔

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Please contact us if you need general information or advice about Trust services: www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/pals

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Reference: BH/PIN/1135

Publication date: June 2022

All our patient information leaflets are reviewed every three years.

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