And though it's usually reversible, delirium can have serious complications. When the mind goes, even temporarily, the body follows. Frequently, delirious patients can't get out of bed or concentrate on a physical-therapy regime. As a result, they become weaker and sicker. Hospital stays are prolonged and some patients who are otherwise ready to go home must be transferred to skilled nursing facilities or rehabilitation centers.
Recent research suggests that even when patients recover, there are significant residual effects.
But now there's some evidence that the effects in many people are much longer lasting. The decline in cognitive function can persist for months. Sharon Inouye, MD, a geriatrician at Yale University School of Medicine and the nation's foremost expert on delirium in the elderly, got a heart-wrenchingly intimate look at the syndrome and its aftereffects two years ago when her father, a physician in his early 70s, suffered a heart attack. After undergoing cardiac surgery, he developed renal failure and fell into a snare of cascading medical interventions. He was immobilized.