Delirium, Dementia And Depression In The Long-Term Care Setting
Definitions1
Definitions1
Clinical Frailty Scale
- Delirium is a sudden change in mental status (inattention and disorganized thinking) that develops over hours or days and has a fluctuating course.
- Dementia is a significant change in cognitive performance from a previous level of performance in one or more cognitive domains that interferes with activities of daily living (ADL) which do not occur in conjunction with delirium or depression.
- Depression is a spectrum of mood disorders characterized by a sustained disturbance in emotional, cognitive, behavioral, or somatic regulation that is associated with a change of previous level of functioning or clinically significant distress.
Delirium
- A disturbance in attention (i.e., reduced ability to direct, focus, sustain, and shift attention) and awareness (reduced orientation to the environment).
- The disturbance develops over a short period of time (usually hours to a few days), represents a change from baseline attention and awareness, and tends to fluctuate in severity during the course of a day.
- An additional disturbance in cognition (e.g., memory deficit, disorientation, language, visuospatial ability, or perception).
- The disturbances in Criteria 1 and 3 (listed above) are not better explained by another preexisting, established, or evolving neurocognitive disorder and do not occur in the context of a severely reduced level of arousal, such as coma.
- There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings that the disturbance is a direct physiological consequence of another medical condition, substance intoxication or withdrawal (i.e., due to a drug of abuse or to a medication), or exposure to a toxin, or is due to multiple etiologies.
Dementia, “Major Neurocognitive Disorder”
- Evidence of significant cognitive decline from a previous level of performance in one or more cognitive domains (complex attention, executive function, learning and memory, language, perceptual-motor, or social cognition) based on:
- Concern of the individual, a knowledgeable informant, or the clinician that there has been a significant decline in cognitive function; and
- A substantial impairment in cognitive performance, preferably documented by standardized neuropsychological testing or, in its absence, another quantified clinical assessment.
- The cognitive deficits interfere with independence in everyday activities (i.e., at a minimum, requiring assistance with complex instrumental activities of daily living such as paying bills or managing medications).
- The cognitive deficits do not occur exclusively in the context of a delirium.
- The cognitive deficits are not better explained by another mental disorder (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia).
Depression, "Major Depressive Episode"
- Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure. Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly attributable to another medical condition.
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad, empty, hopeless) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). (Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.)
- Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation).
- Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. (Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gain.)
- Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick).
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others).
- Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
- The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
- The episode is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or to another medical condition.
Note: Criteria 1–3 represent a major depressive episode.
Note: Responses to a significant loss (e.g., bereavement, financial ruin, losses from a natural disaster, a serious medical illness or disability) may include the feelings of intense sadness, rumination about the loss, insomnia, poor appetite, and weight loss noted in Criterion A, which may resemble a depressive episode. Although such symptoms may be understandable or considered appropriate to the loss, the presence of a major depressive episode in addition to the normal response to a significant loss should also be carefully considered. This decision inevitably requires the exercise of clinical judgment based on the individual’s history and the cultural norms for the expression of distress in the context of loss. - The occurrence of the major depressive episode is not better explained by schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or other specified and unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders.
- There has never been a manic episode or a hypomanic episode. Note: This exclusion does not apply if all of the manic-like or hypomanic-like episodes are substance-induced or are attributable to the physiological effects of another medical condition.
Distinguishing the 3D’s
| Delirium | Dementia | Depression | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onset | Acute (hours to days) | Gradual (months to years) | Gradual (weeks to months) |
| Course | Fluctuating | Slowly progressive or chronic | Usually reversible with treatment |
| Consciousness | Commonly altered | Clear except in advanced stages | Clear |
| Attention | Impaired | Intact except in advanced stages | Generally intact |
| Mood | Variable | Variable | Low |
| Apathy | Present or Absent | Present or Absent | Present or Absent |
| Hallucinations | Common in hyperactive delirium | Usually absent, except in Lewy body dementia | Absent except in depression with psychotic features |
| Psychomotor Changes | Hypoactive or hyperacitve | Wandering, agitated, or withdrawn in some cases | Hypoactive or hyperactive |
| Reversibility | Usually reversible | Not reversible | Usually reversible |
| Signs of other medical condition | Present | Absent | Usually absent |
Delirium
...Delirium...
...Key Points...
...ium is a medical emergency – it may be...
...Rec...
...STEP 1: Identify w...
...1. Predisposing Factors or Vulnerability3 Ag...
...2. Precipitating Factors or Noxious In...
...STEP 2: Modify r...
...r use of the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden S...
...dications Commonly Associated with...
...STEP 3: Institute rou...
...he Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) was origina...
...rmacologic Delirium Prevention (based on...
...Assessme...
...STEP 4: Scr...
...s a sensitivity of 94–100% and a specifi...
...To diagnose delirium by CAM, 1...
...Delirium could be a medical emergency; myocardial...
STEP 6: Det...
...Diagnostic Test Options to Help Assess the Ca...
...Treatment...
...STEP...
...Refer to Table 4...
...STEP 8: Manage sleep/wak...
...n 3–5 mg PO QHS or ramelteon 8 mg PO Q...
...STEP 9...
...STEP 10:...
...STEP 11...
...id benzodiazepines (BZDs) except in BZD or al...
...Monitoring
STEP 12:...
...STEP 13: Minimize...
...ration pneumonitis or pneumonia P...
...STEP 14: A...
...nformation regarding PRN antipsychotic and...
Dementia
...Dementia...
...Key Points
...Management of dementia in the PALT...
...STEP 1: R...
...logical Conditions in Which Cognitive Fun...
...STEP 2:...
...le 2. Behaviors That May Suggest Dementia...
...STEP 3: Apprecia...
...le 3. Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular D...
...a with Lewy Bodies vs. Parkinson’s disease with...
...STEP 4:...
...eimer’s dementia: 55-75% Vascular demen...
...Assessment...
...STEP 5:...
...nclude collateral family/caregiver h...
...able 5. Common Types of Dementia...
...STEP 6:...
...Activities of Daily Living A...
...STEP 7: Perform a mental...
...epeated yearly to document progression...
Table 7. Selected Screening Tools for Cogni...
...STEP 8: Perform li...
...e laboratory testing (CBC, basic metabolic pane...
...STEP 9:...
CT or MRI to be performed at least o...
...STEP 10: Scr...
...e that depression can coexist in dementia....
...ST...
...STEP 12: Ass...
...T scale (refer to Table 8). Remember,...
...8. Functional Assessment Staging Scale...
...STEP 13: Ass...
...symptoms can include agitation, anx...
...ble 9. DICE Approach...
...Treatment...
...STE...
...ze function and quality of life. Capitalize on r...
...STEP 15: Optim...
...the environment to provide a more home-like...
...STEP 16: Mana...
...tituting any treatments, rule out r...
Step 17...
...Pharmacologic Treatment of Dementia...
...M...
...STEP 18: Perform regu...
...f treatment target is functional improvement...
...STEP 19:...
...w Appendix A and B; pay particular attention...
Depression
...Depression...
...Key Poin...
Depression among nursing home reside...
...Recognition...
...STEP 1: Doe...
...le Chronic medical illness, such as can...
...STEP 2: D...
...gestive of Depression Patients with several of...
...STEP...
...eening Tools: Geriatric Depression Scale – 5...
...STEP 4: Perform a med...
...ting depression in older adults, consider...
...STEP 5: De...
...pression Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Sym...
...STEP 6:...
...uicidal ideation or plan Dangerou...
...Treatment...
...STEP 7: De...
...otherapy vs. Psychosocial Treatment Modaliti...
STEP 8: Pres...
...advised as first line treatment for...
...Classes of Anti-depressants with P...
...monly Used Antidepressant Dosing...
...Monitoring...
...STEP 9: Monitor...
...lar screening/diagnostic tools to mo...
Table 4. Phases of Major Depression Disor...
Appendices
...Appen...
...ntipsychotic Agents Antipsychotic...
...ide-Effect Profile of Common Antipsyc...
...x C: Non-Pharmacological Management of Agitati...
...D’s Quality Performance Measures De...
...ndix E: Cornell Scale For Depression In...
...endix F: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Appendix G: CMS Regulations Regarding P...
Appendix H: PHQ-...
References
...erican Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagn...
Sources
...- The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Ca...
Acknowledgements
...AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-...