An altered state of consciousness, consisting of confusion, distractibility, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, defective perception (illusions and hallucinations), prominent hyperactivity, agitation and autonomic nervous system overactivity; caused by a number of toxic, structural, and metabolic disorders. [L. fr. deliro, to be crazy, fr. de- + lira, a furrow (i.e., go out of the furrow)]
- acute d. d. of recent, rapid onset.
- alcohol withdrawal d. the d. experienced by an alcohol-habituated individual caused by the abrupt cessation of alcohol intake.
- d. tremens (DT) a severe, sometimes fatal, form of d. due to alcoholic withdrawal following a period of sustained intoxication. [L. pres. p. of tremo, to tremble]
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drugs-electrolytes-low temperature and lunacy-intoxication and intracranial processes-retention of urine or feces-infection-unfamiliar surroundings-myocardial infarction [causes of delirium]
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de·lir·i·um di-'lir-ē-əm n a mental disturbance characterized by confusion, disordered speech, and hallucinations
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n.
an acute disorder of the mental processes accompanying organic brain disease. It may be manifested by delusions, disorientation, hallucinations, or extreme excitement and occurs in metabolic disorders, intoxication, deficiency diseases, and infections.
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de·lir·i·um (də-lērґe-əm) pl. delirґia [de- + L. lira furrow or track; i.e., “off the trackâ€] [DSM-IV] an acute, transient disturbance of consciousness accompanied by a change in cognition and having a fluctuating course. Characteristics include reduced ability to maintain attention to external stimuli and disorganized thinking as manifested by rambling, irrelevant, or incoherent speech; there may also be a reduced level of consciousness, sensory misperceptions, disturbance of the sleep-wake cycle and level of psychomotor activity, disorientation to time, place, or person, and memory impairment. Delirium may be caused by a number of conditions that result in derangement of cerebral metabolism, including systemic infection, cerebral tumor, poisoning, drug intoxication or withdrawal, seizures or head trauma, and metabolic disturbances such as fluid, electrolyte, or acid-base imbalance, hypoxia, hypoglycemia, or hepatic or renal failure; specific types are named according to etiology, e.g., delirium due to hypoglycemia.Medical dictionary. 2011.