A widow, aged 72 years, lives alone and is visited weekly by her son. She takes digoxin,
hydrochlorothiazide, and an antihypertensive drug. She also has a prescription for diazepam
(Valium) as needed for moderate to severe anxiety.
When the son visited today he found his mother
confused. Her speech was thick and slurred and she had an unsteady gait. She was taken to the
emergency department, and hospital admission followed. The nurse assessed the client as having
several cognitive problems, including memory and attention deficits and fluctuating levels of
orientation. The nurse confirms that the client's symptoms developed over a 2-day period. The
client's symptoms are most characteristic of
a. delirium.
b. dementia.
c. amnestic syndrome.
d. Alzheimer's disease.
A
Delirium is characterized by an abrupt onset of fluctuating levels of awareness, clouded
consciousness, perceptual disturbances, and disturbed memory and orientation. Options B and D:
The onset of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia, is more insidious. Option C:
Amnestic syndrome involves memory impairment without other cognitive problems.
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