15th February 2025

You are asked to review a 100-year-old gentleman who has been increasingly confused.

You are asked to review a 100-year-old gentleman who has been increasingly confused. His son says this has been becoming increasingly worse over the last few days, so that although sometimes he appears to be nearly back to normal, at other times he is unwell enough that he does not recognise him and appears to respond to unseen stimuli. He is currently oriented to person but not place or time. His abdomen appears distended and it is unclear when he last opened his bowels. There is no history of head injury. Which of the following would be most important in supporting delirium as opposed to dementia as the likely diagnosis?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.