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Differential diagnosis of agitation and confusion
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Differential diagnosis of agitation and confusion</font> | ||||
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Delirium (acute confusional state)</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Emotional reactions</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Psychosis</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Dementia</font> | |
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Prevalence</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Common</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Common</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Rare as a new presentation in an acute hospital setting</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Extremely rare</font> |
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Onset</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Acute or subacute</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Acute or acute-onchronic</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Insidious</font> | |
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Course</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Fluctuating, usually resolves over days to weeks</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Progressive</font> | ||
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Conscious level</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Often impaired, can fluctuate rapidly</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Intact</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Clear until later stages</font> | |
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Cognitive defects</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Poor short-term memory, poor attention span</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Absent</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Absent</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Poor short-term memory, attention less affected until severe</font> |
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Hallucinations</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Common, especially visual</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>None</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Auditory; third person</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Often absent</font> |
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Delusions</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Fleeting, nonsystematized</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>None</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Fixed and systematized</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Often absent</font> |
| <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Psychomotor activity</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Increased, reduced or unpredictable</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Typically increased</font> | <font 11pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;black;;inherit>Can be normal</font> | |
Source: Forsyth R, Newton R, eds. Paediatric Neurology (Oxford Specialist Handbooks in Paediatrics). 3 ed. ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; 2017. https://oxfordmedicine.com/view/10.1093/med/9780198784449.001.0001/med-9780198784449.
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