Dr. Loredana Meșter 1,4, Dr. Mariana Sporiș2,4, Dr. Geanina Daniela Miron1,4, Prof. univ. dr. Daniela Moșoiu3,4
1 Spitalul Județean de Urgență Bistrița, România, 2Spitalul Clinic Județean de Urgență Brașov, România, 3Universitatea Transilvania Facultatea de Medicină Brașov, România, 4Oncologie
Primit: 15.03.2022 • Acceptat pentru publicare: 31.03.2022
Abstract
We performed a prospective study in the Oncology Department of the Bistrița County Emergency Hospital.
Objectives: To deepen the notion of “delirium”, especially for patients with advanced cancer and to understand the reasons why delirium occurs as a complication in cancer patients Methods: We applied the Folstein test and the confusion test, which helped us determine the incidence of delirium pathology among cancer patients. Results and discussions: The research group consists of a total of 85 patients, divided into two groups, the study group and the control group. We were able to determine the causes of delirium in cancer patients, finding that the patients who had or were ongoing chemotherapy have had a more difficult recovery (35 patients out of 45 in the study group), thus being an important factor leading to delirium. We also found that the quality of life of cancer patients in whom the pathology of delirium has been established is precarious, with a significant difference between the sexes, in favour of men.
Conclusions: In the case of a patient with oncological pathology, it is absolutely important to support the family and entourage (a fact deduced from the factors that prevented the onset of delirium in cancer patients in the comparison group) and help them understand and accept the diagnosis, so the process of treatment and recovery should be easier from a mental point of view.
Keywords: delirium, cancer, oncological pathology, Folstein test, confusion test