A recently widowed older-adult patient is dehydrated and is admitted to the hospital for intravenous fluid replacement. During the evening shift, the patient becomes acutely confused

Question

Which possible reversible causes will the nurse consider when assessing this patient? (Select all that apply.)
a. Electrolyte imbalance
b. Sensory deprivation
c. Hypoglycemia
d. Drug effects
e. Dementia

Answer 1

ANS: A, B, C, D
Delirium, or acute confusional state, is a potentially reversible cognitive impairment that is often due to a physiological event. Physiological causes include electrolyte imbalances, untreated pain, infection, cerebral anoxia, hypoglycemia, medication effects, tumors, subdural hematomas, and cerebrovascular infarction or hemorrhage. Sometimes it is also caused by environmental factors such as sensory deprivation or overstimulation, unfamiliar surroundings, or sleep deprivation or psychosocial factors such as emotional distress. Dementia is a gradual, progressive, and irreversible cerebral dysfunction.