Delirium in Patients with Covid – 19 and its Treatment in the Intensive Care Unit

Viktorija Mačiulytė1, Gintarė Iveta Semėnaitė1

1Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Academy of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania

 

Abstract. The coronavirus (Covid – 19) infection which was first recorded in 2019 and has spread to become a global pandemic since then, does not only cause pneumonia and respiratory failure, but also other systemic lesions and symptoms. Delirium, a non-specific organic brain syndrome, effecting consciousness, perception, causing disturbances in thinking, memory, behaviour and emotions, has been commonly reported in patients with Covid-19 treated in the intensive care units. Delirium increases patient mortality, thus it is important to preserve, prevent and treat this condition. In this article we review Covid-19 infection and its association with delirium and its treatment in the Intensive Care Unit.

Aim: to analyse and evaluate the latest information involving delirium and its association with Covid – 19 and treatment of this condition in the ICU.

Methods: information for this literature review was collected using keywords related to Covid -19 and delirium in “PubMed” database.

Conclusions. As delirium may increase patient mortality, patients should be given preventive measures and effective treatment in a timely manner. Further studies should be performed to identify risk factors for the occurrence of Covid-19 delirium, the most effective preventive measures and treatment.

Keywords: delirium, ICU, Covid-19.