Delirium: ABFM practice questions

8 board-style questions on delirium in the PulseMD family medicine question bank, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.

Sample question 1

An 82-year-old nursing home resident with known mild Alzheimer's disease is brought to the emergency department after becoming acutely agitated and confused over the past 24 hours. She is pulling at her IV line and is intermittently drowsy then hyperalert. Her caregiver reports that her confusion is significantly worse than baseline. Vitals: T 38.6C, HR 102, BP 148/82. Which feature most reliably distinguishes her current presentation as delirium superimposed on dementia rather than progression of dementia alone?

  1. Inability to perform activities of daily living
  2. Disorientation to time and place
  3. Presence of visual hallucinations
  4. Acute onset with fluctuating level of consciousness

Sample question 2

A 75-year-old man is admitted to the ICU after hip fracture surgery. The care team wants to minimize his risk of post-operative delirium. Which of the following is the strongest predisposing risk factor for delirium in hospitalized elderly patients?

  1. Pre-existing cognitive impairment or dementia
  2. Body mass index greater than 30
  3. Male sex
  4. History of well-controlled hypertension

Create a free PulseMD account to answer these, see the explanations, and practice five minutes a day.

PulseMD is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or approved by the American Board of Family Medicine.