Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine
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Delirium is an acute condition often affecting acutely ill hospitalized patients, particularly in the elderly patients. Delirium is under-detected and associated with adverse healthcare outcomes, including institutionalization and elevated mortality. ⋯ There is neither any medication approved for the treatment of delirium nor strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of medications. In the management of delirium, recent studies show that delirium prevention(i.e., multidisciplinary delirium prevention programs) leads to improved outcomes, rather than waiting for delirium to develop and then intervening.