A Patient Has Been Admitted with a Diagnosis of Confusion

question 29

Multiple Choice

A patient has been admitted with a diagnosis of confusion.The physician's admission note states that he wants to assess for delirium versus dementia.The nurse knows that the main differences are:

• A) Delirium usually lasts several years, whereas dementia lasts only a few days.
• B) Delirium usually has sudden onset and is reversible, whereas dementia is chronic and irreversible.
• C) Dementia is usually caused by medications, whereas delirium is not.
• D) Dementia is easily treated with reality orientation, whereas delirium is not.

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Definitions:

Olfactory

Pertaining to the sense of smell.

Visual

Relating to seeing or to the perception of things by the sense of sight.

Tactile

Relating to the sense of touch or the sensation caused by objects coming into contact with the skin.

Neuromuscular Junction

The specialized synapse between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber, where neural signals are converted into muscular action.