Электронный научный журнал

Delirium has a high prevalence, especially among hospitalized elderly people. The overall prevalence rate in elderly patients ranges from 29% to 64%. For comparison, it should be noted that in general medical practice, the incidence of delirium ranges from 11% to 42%. Among elderly patients in surgical and geriatric departments, the figures reach 50-80%. Postoperative delirium develops in 15-53% of patients over the age of 65. The incidence of delirium in elderly patients in the intensive care unit reaches 70-87%. Delirium increases the risk of mortality in therapeutic and surgical units by 1.5 times, and in the intensive care unit - from 2 to 4 times. This circumstance leads to an increase in the length of the patient's stay in the hospital and an increase in the financial costs of treatment. At the same time, delirium is often not diagnosed, which is due to the low level of knowledge of medical staff on this problem and the lack of a delirium prevention program in many medical institutions at present. This article presents the main diagnostic signs signaling electrolyte disorders in delirium in elderly and senile patients, which will allow doctors of various profiles to approach the treatment of a particular patient in a timely and reasonable manner.