Pharmacologic Management of Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit

Perry J Tiberio; Niall T Prendergast; Timothy D Girard

doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2022.04.004

Pharmacologic Management of Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit

Clin Chest Med. 2022 Sep;43(3):411-424. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2022.04.004.

Authors

Perry J Tiberio¹, Niall T Prendergast¹, Timothy D Girard²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, NW 628 UPMC Montefiore, 3459 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
² Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Clinical Research, Investigation, and Systems Modeling of Acute Illness (CRISMA) Center, University of Pittsburgh, 3520 Fifth Avenue, 101 Keystone Building, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA. Electronic address: timothy.girard@pitt.edu.

PMID: 36116811
DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2022.04.004

Abstract

Delirium, often underdiagnosed in the intensive care unit, is a common complication of critical illness that contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. Clinicians should be aware of common risk factors and triggers and should work to mitigate these as much as possible to reduce the occurrence of delirium. This review first provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, evaluation, and consequences of delirium in critically ill patients. Presented next is the current evidence for the pharmacologic management of delirium, focusing on prevention and treatment of delirium in the intensive care unit. It concludes by outlining some emerging treatments of delirium.

Keywords: Delirium; Intensive care; Mechanical ventilation; Prevention; Treatment.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Delirium* / drug therapy
Delirium* / etiology
Humans
Intensive Care Units*
Risk Factors