mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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- 48
- 48
It has been observed many times that pneumonia patients, especially elderly ones, have a tendency to become mentally disoriented and sometimes delusional. Is the due to hypoxia, disease process or toxins, or what? Other people with similar respiratory and oxygenation issues don't as a rule, or do they?
Since this is seen most often (not exclusively) in elderly patients, who also have a habit of not running a fever the same as the rest of you do, is there some tie to that curiosity as well?
This is of interest here because a patient may be presenting with disorientation, weakness, and productive cough, but without a fever...psych eval with masks on might take up valuable time and delay proper triage.
Since this is seen most often (not exclusively) in elderly patients, who also have a habit of not running a fever the same as the rest of you do, is there some tie to that curiosity as well?
This is of interest here because a patient may be presenting with disorientation, weakness, and productive cough, but without a fever...psych eval with masks on might take up valuable time and delay proper triage.