Phenomenology of delirium among patients admitted to a coronary care unit.

Aim: To study the phenomenology and motor sub-types of delirium in patients admitted in a Coronary Care Unit (CCU).

Methods: Three hundred and nine consecutive patients were screened for delirium, and those found positive for the same were evaluated by a psychiatrist on DSM-IVTR criteria to confirm the diagnosis. Those with a diagnosis of delirium were evaluated on the DRS-R-98 to study the phenomenology and on the amended Delirium Motor Symptom Scale (DMSS) to study the motor sub-types.

Management of tardive syndromes with clozapine: a case series.

Tardive syndromes are among the most debilitating side effects associated with use of antipsychotics. In this case series we present 5 cases of drug induced tardive syndromes, who had not responded to many of the other therapeutic measures but responded to clozapine. The response rate with clozapine varied from 50% to 100% and the response was seen by week 3 in most cases.

Delirium in patients admitted to a cardiac intensive care unit with cardiac emergencies in a developing country: incidence, prevalence, risk factor and outcome.

Aim: To assess the incidence, prevalence, risk factors and outcome of delirium in patients admitted to a cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: Three hundred nine consecutive patients admitted to a 22-bed coronary care unit were screened for presence of delirium by using Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU), and those found positive on CAM-ICU were further evaluated by a psychiatrist to confirm the diagnosis of delirium as per DSM-IV-TR criteria. Patients were also evaluated for the risk factors for delirium and outcome of delirium.

Brief report: childhood disintegrative disorder as a likely manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Childhood disintegrative disorder is a rare disorder, characterized by regression of acquired skills after a period of normal development. The case of childhood disintegrative disorder presented here was found to have vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia on extensive evaluation to find a probable cause for regression. This case illustrates the need for a thorough evaluation of all cases of childhood disintegrative disorder so that treatable causes of regression, like vitamin B12 deficiency, are not missed.