Delirium in elderly adults: diagnosis, prevention and treatment

Sepsis associated delirium mimicking postoperative delirium as the initial presenting symptom of urosepsis in a patient who underwent nephrolithotomy

We report a case of 70 years old male who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy for renal calculi. After an uneventful recovery from anaesthesia, the patient developed delirium which manifested as restlessness, agitation, irritability and combative behavior. All other clinical parameters including arterial blood gas, chest X-ray and core temperature were normal and the patient remained haemodynamically stable. But 45 min later the patient developed florid manifestations of septic shock. He was aggressively managed in a protocolized manner as per the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines in the Critical Care Unit and recovered completely. There are no case reports showing postoperative delirium as the only initial presentation of severe sepsis, with other clinical parameters remaining normal. Both urosepsis and sepsis associated delirium have very high mortality. High index of suspicion and a protocolized approach in the management of sepsis can save lives.