An 85-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with gastroenteritis and dehydration.He receives a dose of meclizine hydrochloride,an anticholinergic,for vomiting.He begins to hallucinate and talk to his wife,who has been dead for 10 years.Which explanation best describes this behavior?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Anticholinergic drugs can cause sudden confusion in older adults.There is nothing in the history that suggests that the behavior would be related to AD or any other dementia as dementias progress slowly.Dehydration would increase the effect of the anticholinergic.

An 85-Year-Old Man Is Admitted to the Hospital with Gastroenteritis