Delirium or confusion in cancer patients is a sign of the brain being affected. Delirium affects a person’s way of thinking.

The person in delirium suddenly feels sleepy and may act weirdly. The patient is not able to notice the change. At times he/she may be very nervous and the person becomes unaware of the surroundings.

Confusion or delirium is commonly found in people in an advanced stage of cancer. It makes a person think and act differently when compared to a normal person. It becomes stressful for the patient and the family members to cope up with the situation. With a delayed diagnosis, it becomes tough for the healthcare provider to manage the symptoms.

Types of Delirium or confusion

The 3 types of delirium are –

1. Hypoactive
2. Hyperactive
3. Mixed

Mixed delirium is the most common type of delirium. Some may swing between the 2 types of delirium.

Symptoms of delirium

The chief symptoms include changes in awareness, alertness, and consciousness. Other symptoms include –

• Speech and thoughts that are meaningless
• Difficulty in sleeping as they don’t realize the difference between day and night
• Not able to pay attention for a longer duration
• Change in personality, depression, anxiety
• Hallucination and delusions
• Not able to remember things
• Not able to make out the place where they are

Causes of delirium

Confusion or delirium may arise from more than one factor. Finding the cause of the problem is important for doctors to decide the line of treatment. Given below are possible factors causing delirium.

• Pain killers
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Anti-allergic medicines
• Steroids
• Sleep inducing medicines
• Stopping certain medication
• Brain cancer
• Insufficient level of oxygen in the blood

Diagnosis of delirium

Diagnosis is done by conducting a detailed physical examination and taking the history of the patient. A neurological test is done to diagnose mental confusion. The doctor might recommend other scans and tests if required.

Management of delirium

• Stopping any undertaking medication or change in medicines.
• Antipsychotic drugs might be used to manage the symptoms.

Managing the side effects is part of cancer treatment. Supportive care is beneficial to manage delirium in cancer patients.

There are various medicines and ways to control the symptoms of delirium. In extreme cases, your doctor might use sedative drugs. The choice of treatment depends upon the preference of the cancer patient.

About Mozocare

Mozocare is a medical access platform for hospitals and clinics to assist patients to access the best medical care at affordable prices. It offers medical information, medical treatment, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, laboratory consumables, and other allied services.

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