What question might help determine whether Mr. Picard's symptoms are delirium or dementia?

What question might help determine whether Mr. Picard's symptoms are delirium or dementia?

• A. Do you think Mr. Picard has Alzheimer's disease?
• B. How long has Mr. Picard shown confused thinking?
• C. Does Mr. Picard have any family members with a history of dementia?
• D. Has Mr. Picard ever been violent?

Answer: (B)

Onset and course of confusion are key. Delirium is an abrupt change in mental status that develops over hours to days and often fluctuates in intensity. Dementia, by contrast, is a gradual, progressive decline that occurs over months or years. Asking how long Mr. Picard has shown confused thinking directly probes the time frame and pattern of symptoms, helping you distinguish an acute delirium from a longer-standing dementia. Other questions don’t help as directly with this distinction. Inquiring about Alzheimer's disease or family history looks at risk or a diagnosis, not the current onset. Asking about violence isn’t informative for differentiating delirium from dementia.

Onset and course of confusion are key. Delirium is an abrupt change in mental status that develops over hours to days and often fluctuates in intensity. Dementia, by contrast, is a gradual, progressive decline that occurs over months or years. Asking how long Mr. Picard has shown confused thinking directly probes the time frame and pattern of symptoms, helping you distinguish an acute delirium from a longer-standing dementia.

Other questions don’t help as directly with this distinction. Inquiring about Alzheimer's disease or family history looks at risk or a diagnosis, not the current onset. Asking about violence isn’t informative for differentiating delirium from dementia.