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Confusión - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Desorientación; Pensamiento sin claridad; Pensamientos confusos

Definición:

Es la incapacidad para pensar con la claridad y velocidad usuales, incluyendo el hecho de sentirse desorientado y tener dificultad para prestar atención, recordar y tomar decisiones.

Ver también: demencia para mayor información acerca de la confusión crónica o prolongada

Consideraciones generales:

La confusión puede aparecer rápida o lentamente con el tiempo, dependiendo de la causa. Muchas veces es temporal, mientras que otras veces es permanente e incurable. Puede estar asociada con delirio o demencia.

La confusión es más frecuente en los ancianos y a menudo ocurre durante una hospitalización.

Algunas personas que padecen confusión pueden tener un comportamiento extraño o inusual o pueden actuar de manera agresiva.

Causas comunes:

  • Reviewed last on: 2/6/2010
  • David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, and Department of Anatomy at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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