Shifting the focus: A QI project to improve the management of delirium in patients with hip fracture.

Introduction: Delirium is common in the perioperative setting, particularly in those admitted with a neck of femur fracture. It is associated with poorer outcomes, including increasing mortality, morbidity and prolonged hospital stay. It is often poorly recognised and under diagnosed.

Assessment and management of older patients with delirium in acute settings.

This article aims to assist nurses and nursing students to consider the presentation of delirium in older patients and the resulting assessment and nursing interventions required. It considers the three types of delirium: hyperactive, hypoactive and mixed. It also discusses potential causes of delirium.

Using a systematic approach to assess an acutely unwell patient with catatonia: a case study.

Patients in acute settings may present with a variety of signs and symptoms; however, the principles of assessment are applicable to all acutely unwell patients. This article details a case study of a patient who presented to the author's medical ward in a catatonic state, and was assessed using the ABCDE (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure) approach. Catatonia is a disturbed mental state in which a patient exhibits abnormal behaviour, such as the inability to speak and non-responsiveness to stimuli, alongside immobility.