Mr. Smith (age 72) is brought to the hospital emergency room. Mr. Smith's son explains that his father woke up this morning and was "not himself." Mr. Smith appears confused, agitated, and a bit frightened. He does not know his own name and cannot recognize his son. Mr. Smith's son reports that his father had been completely fine with no symptoms prior to that morning. Mr. Smith appears to be suffering from

Question

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Mr. Smith's sudden onset of confusion, agitation, and inability to recognize his own son suggest that he is experiencing delirium, which is a sudden change in mental state that can be caused by a variety of factors such as medication changes, infections, or metabolic imbalances. Dementia and Alzheimer's are more gradual and progressive cognitive disorders, and amnestic disorder is a specific type of memory disorder.

Mr Smith (Age 72) Is Brought to the Hospital Emergency