palliative psychiatry geriatrics

MDAS — Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale

10-item clinician-rated severity scale of delirium (Breitbart 1997). Each item 0–3. Total 0–30. Cut-off ≥7/10 sensitive for delirium; severity bands inform escalation.

Q1. Reduced level of consciousness (awareness)*

Q2. Disorientation*

Q3. Short-term memory impairment*

Q4. Impaired digit-span*

Q5. Reduced ability to maintain and shift attention*

Q6. Disorganised thinking*

Q7. Perceptual disturbance*

Q8. Delusions*

Q9. Decreased or increased psychomotor activity*

Q10. Sleep-wake cycle disturbance*

References

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

Calculators

4AT Delirium Assessment Tool · Delirium
Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) · Delirium
Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD) · Delirium

Drugs

Haloperidol (Delirium) · Typical Antipsychotic (Butyrophenone)

Pathways

Acute Behavioural Disturbance / Rapid Tranquillisation · RCEM 2022; RCPsych 2022; NICE NG10
Self-Harm Presentation · NICE NG225 (2022)
Capacity Assessment (Mental Capacity Act) · MCA 2005; Code of Practice
Acute Psychosis Management · NICE CG178 2014
Depression Management · NICE CG90 2022
Lithium Therapy Monitoring · NICE CG185 / BNF

Decision support only — verify against MDCalc, NICE, or your local guideline before clinical use.

References

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