The effects of delirium can lead to behaviors that compromise patient safety, delay recuperation, and increase morbidity or mortality. The 4 cardinal features of delirium are acute onset with fluctuation, inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. This study by Mangnall and colleagues aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of postoperative delirium. Using the Confusion Assesment Method, they found the following:
—Alethea Sment,rn,bsn,ccrn-csc
See Article, pp 45–55
Although β-blockers are recommended in all patients with acute myocardial infarction, do they decrease the effects of anxiety in these patients? In theory, these medications should limit the stimulating effects of anxiety on the sympathetic nervous system. Abu Ruz and colleagues analyzed secondary data in a larger multicenter study that compared the number of in-hospital complications and length of stay in 322 anxious and nonanxious patients receiving β-blockers after acute myocardial infarctions. They found...