Understanding delirium and confusion Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric diagnosis in patients receiving palliative care. The syndrome is defined by Delirium is also referred to as ‘acute confusional state’, and in end-of-life care, much of what is referred to as ‘terminal restlessness’ is likely to reflect delirium or subsyndromal delirium (Lawlor et al., 2000). Please see Figure 14.1 for an overview of the clinical approach to delirium, described below.
Definition and descriptors
Assessment