Comparing delirium with brief psychotic disorder.

Compare and contrast delirium with brief psychotic disorder. For this discussion, you will need to place particular emphasis on how comprehensive assessment could help the PMHNP to arrive at the correct diagnosis for the adult/geriatric patient. +300 words, include references citation format is APA

Sample Solution

Delirium and brief psychotic disorder are two distinct mental health conditions, but they both present with a sudden onset of mental change in the adult/geriatric patient. It is important for the PMHNP to arrive at an accurate diagnosis as treatment plans may differ. To make this distinction accurately, comprehensive assessment is critical.

Delirium usually presents itself with a variety of symptoms that suggest an underlying medical condition or condition affecting cognition such as medication side effects, dehydration, infection, metabolic abnormalities or endocrine disorders (Ambardekar & Jain 2016). It is characteristically marked by confusion and disorientation; alterations in sleep pattern; rapid changes in mood and behaviour; restlessness; delusions and hallucinations; incoherent speech; and signs of impairment in attention span (Agbedia et al 2018). The key factor to diagnosing delirium is its sudden onset over hours to days which can be assessed through review of history taking from family members or close associates.

In contrast to delirium, brief psychotic disorder is characterized by abrupt onset involving one or more discrete episodes during which there are pronounced disturbances in thought processes, perceptual disturbances, behavioural changes including aggression towards others or self-harming behaviours (APA 2013). Other common symptoms include delusions, hallucinations and disorganized speech patterns often resulting from stress related events such as grief associated with personal loss (Chapman & Chapman 2009). The distinguishing features for this diagnosis are short duration lasting 1-30 days followed by a full return to pre-episode level functioning without any residuals (APA 2013). A thorough psychiatric evaluation should include review of past medical history along with a physical examination focusing on neurological changes that could lead to other possible diagnoses such as stroke or traumatic brain injury which can also cause similar symptoms but require different treatments than those used in cases where brief psychotic disorder has been identified.

Comprehensive assessment allows the PMHNP to identify differences between delirium and brief psychotic disorder so that an accurate diagnosis can be made leading to appropriate treatment plan selection. Once all aspects have been considered through proper evaluation then further testing may need to be conducted if necessary so that other potential diagnoses can be ruled out before finalizing the correct diagnosis for each individual patient case. With the use of comprehensive assessment practices it will help ensure accuracy within each patients’ care plan thus providing optimal outcomes for adult/geriatric patients who suffer from either delirium or brief psychotic disorder

References:
Agbedia OE et al., 2018 Deleruim: An Overview [Online] Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5938820/. Accessed 20 April 2021 .
Ambardekar AP & Jain SS., 2016 Clinical Features Differentiating Deleruim From Brief Psychotic Disorder In Elderly Hospitalized Patients [Online] Available at https://wwwjournalspandasthmaorg./article/S22132600(15)02315-2/fulltext?rss=yes.. Accessed 20 April 2021 .
American Psychiatric Association., 2013 Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders 5th Edn Washington D C American Psychiatric Publishing Inc [Online].Available At WwwpsychiatryOrgDsmVmdxhtml#30616 Accessed 20 April 2021 .
Chapman LW & Chapman JP., 2009 Psychological Conditions In Late Life Brief Psychotic Disorder Mood Disorders Anxiety Disorders Alcohol Or Substance Abuse Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Developmental Disabilities Sexual Dysfunctions Personality Changes Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders [Online] Available At WwwsciencedirectcomsciencearticlePii S0149291808080081Xml..Accessed 20 April 2021

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