Discussion 3

Discussion

Yaraixi

[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

Author Note

Discussion

Delirium is a condition that affects mental abilities which result in condensed awareness and disorganized thinking. There are one or more contributing factors that cause delirium such as chronic illness, surgery, infection, and alcohol withdrawal or drug intoxication. The metabolic imbalances, such as decline in level of sodium in the body can also result in delirium. Dementia is a condition that results in the deterioration of thinking, behaviors, and memory to perform everyday activities. It usually affects older people and is thought to be a part of aging.

Dementia affects memory whereas delirium affects attention. Dementia is caused by the changes in brain and has a gradual onset which is irreversible. The major causes of delirium are drug intoxication or a chronic illness which is usually reversible ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aj496sik63","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Anjum, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Anjum, 2016)"},"citationItems":[{"id":1144,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/LAXE4DDT"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/LAXE4DDT"],"itemData":{"id":1144,"type":"chapter","title":"The Amnestic Syndrome","container-title":"The Medical Basis of Psychiatry","publisher":"Springer","page":"43-51","author":[{"family":"Anjum","given":"Afshan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Anjum, 2016). Amnestic disorders are a group of disorders that causes loss of memory and loss of capability to develop new memory. Patients with this disorder usually suffer from difficulty in learning new information ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aap0fvmcn5","properties":{"formattedCitation":"{\\rtf (Ekstr\\uc0\\u246{}m et al., 2017)}","plainCitation":"(Ekström et al., 2017)"},"citationItems":[{"id":1145,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"itemData":{"id":1145,"type":"article-journal","title":"Dementia and cognitive disorder identified at a forensic psychiatric examination-a study from Sweden","container-title":"BMC geriatrics","page":"219","volume":"17","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Ekström","given":"Anette"},{"family":"Kristiansson","given":"Marianne"},{"family":"Björkstén","given":"Karin Sparring"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Ekström et al., 2017). The causes of amnestic disorders are chemical or structural damage to the brain. It has been observed in patients that this disorder is usually caused by tumors, stroke, and cerebrovascular disease. Most of the symptoms and causes of dementia, delirium, and amnestic disorder are the same. However, these conditions vary in various aspects such as dementia is usually associated with aging whereas delirium and amnestic disorders arise usually initiated after chronic medical conditions such as surgery or other related conditions ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aap0fvmcn5","properties":{"formattedCitation":"{\\rtf (Ekstr\\uc0\\u246{}m et al., 2017)}","plainCitation":"(Ekström et al., 2017)"},"citationItems":[{"id":1145,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"itemData":{"id":1145,"type":"article-journal","title":"Dementia and cognitive disorder identified at a forensic psychiatric examination-a study from Sweden","container-title":"BMC geriatrics","page":"219","volume":"17","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Ekström","given":"Anette"},{"family":"Kristiansson","given":"Marianne"},{"family":"Björkstén","given":"Karin Sparring"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Ekström et al., 2017). The medical condition of delirium onsets in patients suffering from dementia. A complete medical history and physical examination of the patient helps physicians to diagnose the condition. Dementia and delirium are somewhat related to each other in a way that both conditions cause difficulty in remembering things and information. However, the onset of dementia is linked with aging whereas delirium can be caused at any stage of life.

There are strengths and limitations to a psychological diagnosis and labeling of the patient. Most importantly, labeling requires a complete medical history and physical examination of the patient. Leaving mental health condition untreated will result in damage and harm to other persons living with the patient or in the community. It has been described that several health conditions are necessary to be labeled and treated as the behavior of the patient can cause serious problems for other persons. It has been suggested by the physicians that if certain mental health conditions are not treatable then labeling the patient with certain mental health disorder is important. This is to ensure for the protection of other persons living with that patient in the society. Another con attached with the official diagnosis and labeling is lack of precision in the psychological conditions. Many physicians and nurses have usually observed that they are uncertain about the condition affecting the patient. For example, a label of any mental health disorder applied to the individual whether a depression, phobia or personality disorder may vary in only few symptoms ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"a7sieal4q2","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Miller & Boeve, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Miller & Boeve, 2016)"},"citationItems":[{"id":1146,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/C25MEPW2"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/C25MEPW2"],"itemData":{"id":1146,"type":"book","title":"The behavioral neurology of dementia","publisher":"Cambridge University Press","ISBN":"1-107-07720-6","author":[{"family":"Miller","given":"Bruce L."},{"family":"Boeve","given":"Bradley F."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Miller & Boeve, 2016). Another example is that a person with general pains and aches may develop symptoms of depression or phobia that might confuse a physician to label the individual with any mental health disease. Another con of official diagnosis and labeling is that a diagnosis can be false as there is no diagnostic test available to test the certainty of the condition. However, the symptoms and diagnoses are mentioned in the diagnostic and statistical manual. The diagnosis of the physicians might slightly deviate from the symptoms mentioned in the scientific document ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aap0fvmcn5","properties":{"formattedCitation":"{\\rtf (Ekstr\\uc0\\u246{}m et al., 2017)}","plainCitation":"(Ekström et al., 2017)"},"citationItems":[{"id":1145,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"itemData":{"id":1145,"type":"article-journal","title":"Dementia and cognitive disorder identified at a forensic psychiatric examination-a study from Sweden","container-title":"BMC geriatrics","page":"219","volume":"17","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Ekström","given":"Anette"},{"family":"Kristiansson","given":"Marianne"},{"family":"Björkstén","given":"Karin Sparring"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Ekström et al., 2017). For example, a patient with symptoms of dementia might be suffering from delirium as both the conditions appear with almost similar symptoms but a detailed diagnosis can distinguish the actual condition ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aodsgq3eji","properties":{"formattedCitation":"{\\rtf (Ekstr\\uc0\\u246{}m et al., 2017)}","plainCitation":"(Ekström et al., 2017)"},"citationItems":[{"id":1145,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/p8kwKNoG/items/N8KPP62R"],"itemData":{"id":1145,"type":"article-journal","title":"Dementia and cognitive disorder identified at a forensic psychiatric examination-a study from Sweden","container-title":"BMC geriatrics","page":"219","volume":"17","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Ekström","given":"Anette"},{"family":"Kristiansson","given":"Marianne"},{"family":"Björkstén","given":"Karin Sparring"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Ekström et al., 2017). Similarly, a person with dementia usually develops symptoms of depression and anxiety but the conditions should not be diagnosed with uncertainity.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Anjum, A. (2016). The Amnestic Syndrome. The Medical Basis of Psychiatry (pp. 43–51). Springer.

Ekström, A., Kristiansson, M., & Björkstén, K. S. (2017). Dementia and cognitive disorder identified at a forensic psychiatric examination-a study from Sweden. BMC Geriatrics, 17(1), 219.

Miller, B. L., & Boeve, B. F. (2016). The behavioral neurology of dementia. Cambridge University Press.