Delirium involves an acute (minutes to hours), transient disturbance in consciousness and cognition. It is manifested by disorientation, disorganized and inconsistent thought processes, inability to distinguish reality from hallucinations, disturbances in speech, disorientation to time and place, and misidentification of individuals [1]. When the delirium involves combative and/or violent behavior, it is termed excited delirium (ED).
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Di Maio, V.J.M., Di Maio, T.G. (2009). Excited Delirium Syndrome. In: Ho, J., Kroll, M. (eds) TASER® Conducted Electrical Weapons: Physiology, Pathology, and Law. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85475-5_28
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