You are the nurse caring for an elderly patient who is confused and agitated. When the patient's family comes to visit the patient, you ask them how long the patient has been confused
The family states that the patient has been confused for a long time, and the confusion is getting worse. The patient is subsequently diagnosed with dementia. What is the most common cause of dementia in an elderly patient?
A) Delirium
B) Depression
C) Excessive drug use
D) Alzheimer's disease
Ans: D
Feedback: Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly.
Approximately 10% of people over age 65 have Alzheimer's disease; about 50% of people over age 85 have the disease. Delirium, or acute confusion, is caused by an underlying disease and isn't itself a cause of dementia. Depression is common in the elderly but, in many cases, manifests itself in apathy, self-deprecation, or inertia — not dementia. Excessive drug use, commonly stemming from the patient seeing multiple physicians who are unaware of drugs that other physicians have prescribed, can cause dementia. Although it is a problem among the elderly, it is not as common as Alzheimer's disease.
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