Abstract:

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics, misdiagnosis reason and treatment methods in elderly heart failure (HF) patients with delirium as the initial symptom. Methods Three elderly HF patients with delirium as the initial symptom were retrospectively analyzed. Results None of the three patients had typical symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath and asthma, and all of them took delusion as the initial symptom. Two cases were diagnosed with senile dementia and one case with brain organic mental disorder. Among the three patients, two cases had been treated in the department of neurology, but the treatment effect was not satisfactory. HF was diagnosed by results of echocardiography and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in our department, and delirium was improved after improving cardiac function. Conclusion When elderly patients experience mental and behavioral abnormalities, the possibility of delirium should be considered. Thinking should be broadened and comprehensive assessment should be carried out. Especially if there is a previous heart disease, abnormal cardiac function should be checked.

Key words: delirium, heart failure, aged