Hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU) is often complicated by various disorders of consciousness and higher cortical functions. Their variability ranges from cognitive dysfunction to the onset of delirium. Delirium is a serious complication of an ICU stay, affecting both the course of the underlying disease and all areas of the patient’s life in the long term. Delirium increases the risk of developing dementia in elderly patients, worsens the rehabilitation prognosis, and significantly increases the risk of mortality and disability. The presented literature review is dedicated to the systematization of the known knowledge about the problem of delirium in the ICU, the etiology and epidemiology of delirium, diagnosis, risk factors, prevention and treatment. We analyzed data from domestic and foreign literature in order to review the existing knowledge on improving the prevention of delirium, its treatment and improvement of outcomes.

Keywords: delirium in the ICU, pathophysiology of delirium, intensive care, delirium