Prognosis of Delirium

Studies of outcome have started to challenge the assumption that delirium is a truly reversible disorder with a good prognosis. Prospective outcome studies of delirium are required to describe its prognosis. The evidence is that delirium recovers slowly and often incompletely. Delirious patients stay longer in hospital than those without delirium. High mortality rates seen in delirium may be contributed to by the delirium itself. The prognosis of delirium is almost certainly not therefore, one of early full recovery. Rather, delirium is a condition with a slow recovery and one that often fails to resolve completely.