Altered Mental Status and Delirium in Pediatric Patients.

Delirium in children can significantly impact their mental status, which encompasses consciousness, emotion, and cognition. Effective recognition of this serious neurocognitive disorder is enhanced by monitoring 50% of predisposing risks and using validated screening tools regularly. Clinicians must approach pediatric assessments with an understanding of cognitive and psychosocial development, ensuring alterations are clearly described. Management focuses on treating the underlying cause, preventing factors that could worsen the condition, and ensuring patient safety to mitigate the effects of delirium.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mental status is the collection of an individual's consciousness, perception, emotion, memory, and cognition at a particular point in time, which is inferred by the clinician through careful observation and interaction. The pediatric mental status assessment must be approached with an understanding of cognitive, language, and psychosocial development. Alterations must then be comprehensively and clearly described. Delirium is a phenotypic diagnosis with a specific set of criteria in the DSM and is a serious neurocognitive disorder caused by physiologic changes due to illness, injury, toxins, medications, and/or substances. Recognition of delirium in children is improved by monitoring of predisposing risks and precipitating factors, as well as the regular use of validated pediatric screening tools. Management of delirium is focused on treatment of the underlying etiology, prevention of iatrogenic deliriogenic factors, and patient safety.