ABSTRACT
Delirium or acute confusional state among hospitalized patients is a frequent and serious problem. It is characterized by acute onset symptoms, fluctuating course, impaired attention, unorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. Delirium, as a manifestation of acute nicotine withdrawal syndrome has been reported in the reviewed literature only in eight cases. We report the case of a heavy smoker admitted because of a reagudization of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. At the third day of nicotine abstinence, he developed delirium with a rapid improvement of his symptoms after treatment with a transdermal nicotine patch. This description suggests that in hospitalized heavy smokers who develop delirium with agitation, a simple trial with a nicotine patch can offer a dramatic therapeutic response in a few hours, constituting additionally a confirmatory test. The recognition of delirium as a manifestation of nicotine withdrawal could allow to determine the origin of symptoms and to apply the appropriate therapy, in certain complex cases that now remain undiagnosed.
Subject(s)
Delirium/chemically induced , Nicotine/adverse effects , Nicotinic Agonists/adverse effects , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/diagnosis , Acute Disease , Aged , Delirium/drug therapy , Hospitalization , Humans , Lung Diseases, Obstructive/therapy , Male , Nicotine/therapeutic use , Nicotinic Agonists/therapeutic use , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/drug therapy , SyndromeABSTRACT
Delirium or acute confusional state among hospitalized patients is a frequent and serious problem. It is characterized by acute onset symptoms, fluctuating course, impaired attention, unorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. Delirium, as a manifestation of acute nicotine withdrawal syndrome has been reported in the reviewed literature only in eight cases. We report the case of a heavy smoker admitted because of a reagudization of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. At the third day of nicotine abstinence, he developed delirium with a rapid improvement of his symptoms after treatment with a transdermal nicotine patch. This description suggests that in hospitalized heavy smokers who develop delirium with agitation, a simple trial with a nicotine patch can offer a dramatic therapeutic response in a few hours, constituting additionally a confirmatory test. The recognition of delirium as a manifestation of nicotine withdrawal could allow to determine the origin of symptoms and to apply the appropriate therapy, in certain complex cases that now remain undiagnosed
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aged , Delirium , Nicotine , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/diagnosis , Acute Disease , Delirium , Hospitalization , Lung Diseases, Obstructive , Nicotine , Nicotinic Agonists , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/drug therapy , SyndromeABSTRACT
Delirium or acute confusional state among hospitalized patients is a frequent and serious problem. It is characterized by acute onset symptoms, fluctuating course, impaired attention, unorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. Delirium, as a manifestation of acute nicotine withdrawal syndrome has been reported in the reviewed literature only in eight cases. We report the case of a heavy smoker admitted because of a reagudization of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. At the third day of nicotine abstinence, he developed delirium with a rapid improvement of his symptoms after treatment with a transdermal nicotine patch. This description suggests that in hospitalized heavy smokers who develop delirium with agitation, a simple trial with a nicotine patch can offer a dramatic therapeutic response in a few hours, constituting additionally a confirmatory test. The recognition of delirium as a manifestation of nicotine withdrawal could allow to determine the origin of symptoms and to apply the appropriate therapy, in certain complex cases that now remain undiagnosed.
ABSTRACT
Delirium or acute confusional state among hospitalized patients is a frequent and serious problem. It is characterized by acute onset symptoms, fluctuating course, impaired attention, unorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. Delirium, as a manifestation of acute nicotine withdrawal syndrome has been reported in the reviewed literature only in eight cases. We report the case of a heavy smoker admitted because of a reagudization of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. At the third day of nicotine abstinence, he developed delirium with a rapid improvement of his symptoms after treatment with a transdermal nicotine patch. This description suggests that in hospitalized heavy smokers who develop delirium with agitation, a simple trial with a nicotine patch can offer a dramatic therapeutic response in a few hours, constituting additionally a confirmatory test. The recognition of delirium as a manifestation of nicotine withdrawal could allow to determine the origin of symptoms and to apply the appropriate therapy, in certain complex cases that now remain undiagnosed (AU)
