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Book Review

Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients With Delirium

Joseph A. Kwentus

Published: January 1, 2001

Article Abstract

From our regular book review column.

This volume of Practice Guidelines is one in a series of guidelines published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Although the Guidelines is not intended as a standard for medical care, it goes a long way toward establishing benchmarks for the diagnosis and treatment of delirium. Although delirium is a complex psychiatric syndrome, the APA Work Group on Delirium has succeeded in providing a readable, comprehensive, and effective tool for use by clinicians who treat delirium in their daily practice. The Guidelines consists of an executive summary and sections on disease definition, epidemiology, and natural history; treatment; formulating a treatment plan; and clinical features that influence treatment. In addition, there is a continuing medical education exercise and a quick reference guide with appropriate decision trees for diagnosis, psychiatric management, environmental interventions, and choice of specific somatic interventions.


Some JCP and PCC articles are available in PDF format only. Please click the PDF link at the top of this page to access the full text.

Volume: 62

Quick Links: Delirium , Neurologic and Neurocognitive