ArticleDementia & neuropsychologia
Delirium in the elderly: A systematic review of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.
Article in Dementia & neuropsychologia. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- A call to action for delirium research: Meta-analysis and regression of delirium associated mortality.BMC geriatrics · 2020Pooled it
- Drug therapy for delirium in terminally ill adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Review
- Adherence to optimal delirium management practices in intensive care units in Brazil: a nationwide survey.JBI evidence implementation · 2025Article
- Calorie restriction increases the sensitivity of progeroid Ercc1GeroScience · 2025Article
- Delirium and Its Association with Short- and Long-Term Health Outcomes in Medically Admitted Patients: A Prospective Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- A clinical risk analysis of early post-operative delirium after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery in elderly patients: a retrospective study.International journal of colorectal disease · 2021Article
- The Management of Psychiatric Emergencies in Situations of Public Calamity.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Delirium is a common disorder associated with poor prognosis, especially in the elderly. The impact of different treatment approaches for delirium on morbimortality and long-term welfare is not completely understood.
objectiveTo determine the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments in elderly patients with delirium.
methodsThis systematic review compared pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments in patients over 60 years old with delirium. Databases used were: MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL and LILACS from inception to January 6
resultsA total of ten articles were selected. The six non-pharmacological intervention studies showed no impact on duration of delirium, mortality or institutionalization, but a decrease in severity of delirium and improvement in medium-term cognitive function were observed. The most commonly used interventions were temporal-spatial orientation, orientation to self and others, early mobilization and sleep hygiene. The four studies with pharmacological interventions found that rivastigmine reduced the duration of delirium, improved cognitive function and reduced caregiver burden; olanzapine and haloperidol decreased the severity of delirium; droperidol reduced length of hospitalization and improved delirium remission rate.
conclusionAlthough the pharmacological approach has been used in the treatment of delirium among elderly, there have been few studies assessing its efficacy, involving a small number of patients. However, the improvements in delirium duration and severity suggest these drugs are effective in treating the condition. Once delirium has developed, non-pharmacological treatment seems less effective in controlling symptoms, and there is a lack of studies describing different non-pharmacological interventions.
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