blossoming consciousness

Although malpractice and missing sponges have become somewhat silently accepted by the medical community there is a new alarming risk on the rise, Hospital Delirium.   Hospital Delirium results from the combination of an unnatural environment, sleep deprivation and medications. It poses a silent threat to the health of all hospital patients, especially the elderly.  Patients report experiencing zombie attacks, alien invasion, and other paranoid hallucinations.  It may sound like a strange science fiction nightmare but in reality it occurs in up to 1/3 of the hospitalized geriatric population.

Hospital delirium is marked by an inability to think clearly, disorientation, alertness fluctuations, hallucinations, and paranoia. It is usually sudden and can progress over hours or days.  Hospital delirium is more prevalent and poses a greater risk for the geriatric population.  In the allopathic medical system, the elderly are expected to be senile and disoriented.   Because of this false expectation, patients experiencing hospital delirium are often dismissed as “normal aging” and ignored.  Delirium and disorientation are not a part of the natural healing process and should always be observed as a warning sign. Mental status changes often indicate serious turns in medical conditions and should not be overlooked.

The official cause of hospital delirium is undefined but the triggers are everywhere in the hospital atmosphere. Patients are placed in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable environment.  They are usually suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, infection and/or anxiety. Patients can also be left feeling vulnerable due to the removal of their glasses or dentures.  On top of that, add Pandora’s Box of drugs and medications, especially sedatives.