A nurse is caring for a patient with a diagnosis of delirium. ...

[LCritchfi]

A nurse is caring for a patient with a diagnosis of delirium. Which of the following is an ex-pected assessment finding for this patient?
 
  a. Normal attention span
  b. Fluctuation in symptoms
  c. Normal sleep cycle
  d. Increased appetite

Question 2

Which information will the nurse manager include when discussing the major differentiation be-tween delirium and dementia with novice nurses? (Select all that apply.)
 
  a. The delirious client learns to make up an-swers to hide his or her confusion.
  b. Delirium requires increased monitoring at night.
  c. The client diagnosed with dementia gen-erally looks frightened.
  d. Dementia results in a steady decline in cognitive abilities.
  e. Delirium is characterized by fluctuations in alertness.

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Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
A hallmark of delirium is fluctuation in symptoms. Patients with delirium typically have de-creased attention spans and an altered sleep-wake cycle. Classic symptoms of delirium do not involve changes in appetite; however, patients often have a decreased appetite.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B, D, E
The correct options accurately describe the conditions. It is the client experiencing dementia who will over the course of the illness learn to confabulate to cover up his or her memory losses, and the delirious client is more likely to show fear through facial expressions.