Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Delirium is a very complex syndrome that causes a change in attention, cognition and awareness. As there is no single attributable cause, it is still underdiagnosed as a syndrome, often underestimated, and in many clinical settings only pharmacological treatment is used to remedy the acute manifestations, without searching for the underlying cause. If not adequately treated, it leads to a worsening of the patient's clinical condition, increasing the care burden and mortality in both the short and long term. The aim of this Thesis work is to emphasise the importance of the nurse, who has a fundamental role in diagnosis, prevention and treatment, highlighting how nursing care should aim at non-pharmacological approaches. Methodology The chosen methodology was the review of scientific literature, with the aid of a clinical case and related care planning. The main databases that were consulted were the Cochrane Library, Science Direct such as Elsevier or Pubmed. The selected articles are in Italian and English language, due to inclusion criteria such as year of publication between 2010 and 2022, content dealing with delirium and the complex care it requires. Results Through the results of the articles and studies it emerged that nursing care should be developed on three precise levels: a good initial assessment of the patient by identifying the various risk factors, the use of suitable Screening Tests in order to be able to assess the patient's cognitive state and/or level of delirium and then the use of non-pharmacological approaches in the first instance. Conclusion Delirium education of nurses should be increased in order to give them the tools to improve the care of the patient with delirium.