The ED may be the first port of call for patients with changes in behaviour associated with dementia. The ED is frequently attended by dementia sufferers who have had either:
It is easy, in a busy ED, to fail to fully address the issues. Simply taking a full history may require several phone calls to carers and GPs, and examination may require the help of multiple people including relatives/loved ones.
Using a systematic approach to history taking, examination and investigation of these patients will hopefully minimise errors and help identify reversible co-morbidities.
Common errors
The assessment of patients with dementia is challenging for many reasons, and errors can be made. For example: