delirium

delirium
/di lear"ee euhm/, n., pl. deliriums, deliria /-lear"ee euh/.
1. Pathol. a more or less temporary disorder of the mental faculties, as in fevers, disturbances of consciousness, or intoxication, characterized by restlessness, excitement, delusions, hallucinations, etc.
2. a state of violent excitement or emotion.
[1590-1600; < L delirium frenzy, equiv. to delir(are) (see DELIRATION) + -ium -IUM]

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Condition of disorientation, confused thinking, and rapid alternation between mental states.

The patient is restless, cannot concentrate, and undergoes emotional changes (e.g., anxiety, apathy, euphoria), sometimes with hallucinations. Delirium usually results from a disorder affecting the brain such as central nervous system infection, head trauma, or mental disorder. In severe cases of withdrawal from alcohol, delirium tremens results not from the excessive alcohol consumption alone but from exhaustion, malnutrition (particularly lack of thiamine), and dehydration.

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      a mental disturbance marked by disorientation and confused thinking in which the patient incorrectly comprehends his surroundings. The delirious person is drowsy, restless, and fearful of imaginary disasters. He may suffer from hallucinations, seeing terrifying imaginary animals or thinking the building is on fire. Maniacal excitement may follow.

      Delirium usually results from some intoxication or other physical disorder that affects the brain, such as fever, heart failure, or a blow on the head. It often results from an overdose of sedatives, especially bromide, and can be provoked by the too-abrupt discontinuance of barbiturates in addicts. Alcoholic delirium—called delirium tremens because of the characteristic tremor—is a result not merely of excessive consumption of alcohol but of a complicating exhaustion, lack of food, and dehydration; prior to the outbreak of delirium, the patient has usually been deteriorating physically because of vomiting and restlessness.

      Bewildering changes of scene facilitate the onset of delirium. When a patient is on the verge of delirium, transfer from home to hospital is therefore a threat, which can be lessened if members of his family stay with him.

      Delirium usually clears up soon after the physical causes have been checked. Recovery, however, depends not only on riddance of poisons but also on the extent of the damage done to the brain and on the capacity of the body's reparative mechanisms to undo it.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Delirium — tremens Pour les articles homonymes, voir Delirium tremens (homonymie). Le delirium tremens est une conséquence neurologique sévère du syndrome de sevrage d alcool. C est un état d agitation avec fièvre, tremblements des membres,onirisme et… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Delirium — De*lir i*um (d[ e]*l[i^]r [i^]*[u^]m), n. [L., fr. delirare to rave, to wander in mind, prop., to go out of the furrow in plowing; de + lira furrow, track; perh. akin to G. geleise track, rut, and E. last to endure.] 1. (Med.) A state in which… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Delirium — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Delirium Información personal Origen Málaga, España …   Wikipedia Español

  • delirium — tremens [ delirjɔmtremɛ̃s ] ou delirium [ delirjɔm ] n. m. inv. • 1819; en angl. 1813; mots lat. « délire tremblant » ♦ Didact. Délire aigu accompagné d agitation et de tremblement et qui est particulier aux alcooliques. Un accès de delirium… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Delirium — Sn Bewußtseinstrübung erw. fach. (16. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus l. dēlīrium Irresein , zu l. dēlīrus wahnsinnig (und l. dēlīrāre wahnsinnig sein; Unsinniges reden, faseln ), das auf einer Zusammenbildung von l. dē līrā (īre), eigentlich von… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • delirium — DELÍRIUM TRÉMENS, s.n. Criză caracterizată prin delir (1), halucinaţii vizuale sau auditive şi tremurături ale feţei şi ale membrelor, care apare la alcoolicii cronici. [pr.: ri um] – cuv. lat. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.07.2006. Sursa: DEX 98 … …   Dicționar Român

  • DELIRIUM — (бред), термин, употребляемый в русской психиатрической литературе исключительно для обозначения одного из видов расстройств сознания (состояний сно лодобной спутанности), сопровождающихся б. или м. обильными, преимущественно зрительными… …   Большая медицинская энциклопедия

  • Delirium — Delirium, Irrereden, Phantasiren, nennt man ein den äußern Gegenständen und Verhältnissen widersprechendes falsches Denken und Urtheilen, bedingt durch irgend einen idiopathischen oder sympathischen Reizzustand des Gehirns, gewöhnlich mit… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • delirium — 1590s, from L. delirium madness, from deliriare be crazy, rave, lit. go off the furrow, a plowing metaphor, from phrase de lire, from de off, away (see DE (Cf. de )) + lira furrow, earth thrown up between two furrows, from PIE *leis track, furrow …   Etymology dictionary

  • Delirium — »Bewusstseinstrübung mit Wahnvorstellungen«: Das medizinische Fachwort wurde Ende des 17. Jh.s aus lat. delirium »Persönlichkeitsstörung« entlehnt. Das zugrunde liegende Adjektiv lat. delirus »wahnsinnig« ist von delirare »wahnsinnig sein«… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • delirium — [di lir′ē əm] n. pl. deliriums or deliria [di lir′ēə] [L, madness < delirare, to rave, lit., to turn the furrow awry in plowing < de , from + lira, a line, furrow: see LIST1] 1. a temporary state of extreme mental excitement, marked by… …   English World dictionary

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