OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to describe a case of recurrent delirium after cardiac surgery in an infant. DESIGN: Case report. The institutional review board at Children's Hospital Los Angeles waived the need for informed consent. SETTING: Cardiothoracic intensive care unit in a freestanding children's hospital. PATIENT: A male infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who developed delirium on consecutive admissions to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. INTERVENTION: Pharmacologic intervention using the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The symptoms of delirium resolved with the initiation and continuation of olanzapine on both occasions. CONCLUSION: Delirium is a common, but often unrecognized, diagnosis in the intensive care unit. Its early recognition and treatment may prevent unnecessary use of narcotics and benzodiazepines, decrease length of stay and may improve long-term neurocognitive function. This case report describes an infant who developed discrete, consecutive episodes of delirium following surgery for congenital heart disease. Both episodes were treated effectively with olanzapine.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to describe a case of recurrent delirium after cardiac surgery in an infant. DESIGN: Case report. The institutional review board at Children's Hospital Los Angeles waived the need for informed consent. SETTING: Cardiothoracic intensive care unit in a freestanding children's hospital. PATIENT: A male infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who developed delirium on consecutive admissions to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. INTERVENTION: Pharmacologic intervention using the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The symptoms of delirium resolved with the initiation and continuation of olanzapine on both occasions. CONCLUSION:Delirium is a common, but often unrecognized, diagnosis in the intensive care unit. Its early recognition and treatment may prevent unnecessary use of narcotics and benzodiazepines, decrease length of stay and may improve long-term neurocognitive function. This case report describes an infant who developed discrete, consecutive episodes of delirium following surgery for congenital heart disease. Both episodes were treated effectively with olanzapine.
Authors: Gabrielle Silver; Julia Kearney; Chani Traube; Thomas M Atkinson; Katarzyna E Wyka; John Walkup Journal: Palliat Support Care Date: 2014-04-24
Authors: Chani Traube; Gabrielle Silver; Julia Kearney; Anita Patel; Thomas M Atkinson; Margaret J Yoon; Sari Halpert; Julie Augenstein; Laura E Sickles; Chunshan Li; Bruce Greenwald Journal: Crit Care Med Date: 2014-03 Impact factor: 7.598