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Alasdair MacLullich

@amaclullich.bsky.social

840 followers 300 following 400 posts

Physician & Professor of Geriatric Medicine @EdinburghUni. Chair, Scottish Hip Fracture Audit. Delirium, hip fracture. Free chapter of new book: https://www.the4at.com/family-delirium-guide

www.the4at.com

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · Jul 21

There's a real gap in public information on #delirium & I'm aiming to help address this with this book.

Get a pdf of Chapter 1 via this link:

www.the4at.com/family-delir...

#familycaregiver

A book on delirium for families - providing fundamental information on key aspects of the condition, including how to look after people with dementia who develop delirium.

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 22h

10 warning signs of #dementia.

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 1d

Every hospital should have a delirium champion. We have stroke and sepsis champions - why not #delirium?

#PatientSafety

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 4d

"Understanding the person and what might be contributing to their behaviour is the first step in providing support. This includes considering their physical health, emotional state, and the environment around them."

— Dementia Support Australia

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 4d

"At every jolt he again felt unendurable pain; his feverishness increased and he grew delirious." - Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

#delirium

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 5d

“The hiss of the oxygen was the soundtrack to my hallucinations.”

#delirium

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 6d

Does your patient need you to provide reassurance?

Kindness goes a long way in #delirium.

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 7d

Falls-related injuries in older people.

From Public Health Agency of Canada.

#falls

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 8d

Some studies show that in some undergraduate degrees nurses get no formal #delirium training.

For an emergency that affects 1 in 6 hospital patients.

Help me understand why this is.

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 11d

"For carers, managing behavioural and psychological symptoms can be one of the most challenging aspects of dementia. Accessing support and advice is crucial."

— Dementia Support Australia

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 11d

"He saw ships sailing through the sky, and heard voices from the sea."

Seven Samurai (Movie), Akira Kurosawa

#delirium

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 12d

"I was so afraid, so afraid, and I cried and shouted…. I was certainly very afraid… I was convinced that they were going to kill me."

#Delirium

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 13d

Emergency Department (ED) staff: screen ALL patients over 65 for delirium.

Emergency departments are where it's most missed and most dangerous.

Make it as routine as checking blood pressure.

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 14d

Depression in older adults - resources.

www.ccsmha.ca

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 15d

Missed #delirium = longer stays, more complications, higher mortality, massive costs.

But hey, at least we saved 2 minutes by not doing a 4AT in the ED.

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 18d

"ADI calls for a new approach to dementia that is based on recognising dementia as a disability and on promoting the social inclusion of people with dementia."

— Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI)

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 18d

"I see her, she’s talking to me, she’s alive!" (Hallucinating under medication)

Taxi Driver, Martin Scorcese

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 19d

"It was so real, and I was so scared. I was paralyzed on a bed and being burned alive. Just in time, someone rescued her, but suddenly, she was turned into an ice sculpture on a cruise ship buffet. Next, she was in an experiment in a lab in Japan. Then she was being attacked by cats."

#delirium

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 20d

"Have you been having a difficult time?"

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

➡️ Questions to help provide comfort to those with #delirium & #dementia

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Reposted by Alasdair MacLullich

Melanie Ryberg @melanieryberg.bsky.social · 26d

Terrifying for families.
Horrifying to patients afterwards.

See a lot of feelings of guilt and shame about delirium-driven agitation at our post-ICU clinic.

#Delirium #ICUDelirium #ICU #IntensiveCare #PICS

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 26d

"The hate and anger that was coming out of him. I'd be quite honest, I was scared stiff."

- Wife describing her husband's #delirium.

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 21d

Physical activity for adults & older adults

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 22d

Shocking reality: 1 in 4 older hospital patients develop #delirium, yet most families have never heard the word.

We need to do much better in improving public awareness of delirium.

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 25d

"The number of people with dementia in the UK is projected to increase to over 1 million by 2025 and over 1.6 million by 2040."

— National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 25d

“In the grip of a relentless fever, my senses yielded to visions that transformed the very fabric of time into a #delirium of shadows and light.”

Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain, 1924

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Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 26d

"The hate and anger that was coming out of him. I'd be quite honest, I was scared stiff."

- Wife describing her husband's #delirium.

Alasdair MacLullich @amaclullich.bsky.social · 27d

Emergency Department (ED) staff: screen ALL patients over 65 for delirium.

Emergency departments are where it's most missed and most dangerous.

Make it as routine as checking blood pressure.

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