Altered Mental Status

Quick Confusion Scale

The quick confusion scale in the ED: comparison with the mini-mental state examination. [Reference]
Validation of the Quick Confusion Scale for mental status screening in the emergency department [Reference]

Comparing Delirium and Dementia
Feature	Delirium	Dementia
Development	SuddenOften with a definite onset	SlowUsually uncertain onset
Cause	Most often associated with systemic disruption such as infection, dehydration, or drugs (ingestion/withdrawal)	Usually a brain disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, or Lewy body dementia
Main early symptom	Inability to pay attention	Loss of memory, especially recent events
Effect at night	Nearly always worse	Sometimes worse
Level of alertness (consciousness)	Impaired to varying degrees, can vary from being hyperalert to sluggish	Normal until late stages
Orientation to surroundings	Varies	Impaired
Effect on language	Slowed speech, often with incoherent and inappropriate language	Sometimes difficulty finding the right word
Memory	Varies	LostEspecially for recent events
Progression	Causes variations in mental function people are alert one moment and sluggish and drowsy the next	Slowly progresses, gradually but eventually greatly impairing all mental functions
Duration	Days to weeks, sometimes longer	Almost always permanent
Need for treatment	Immediate	Needed but less urgently
Effect of treatment	Usually reverses the losses	May slow progression but cannot reverse or cure the disorder