Table 3: Summary of factors contributing to delirium of Mr A.

POTENTIAL FACTORS	INDICATORS
1. Acute grief reaction	Wife just passed away three weeks earlier Second phase acute grief process
2. Depression	Clinical presentation of insomnia/loss of appetite/withdrawn Precipitating factors of grief/chronic illnesses/stroke/physical disability and immobility/change in social circumstances
3. Adverse effects of drugs	On midazolam (benzodiazepines)/cough mixture (anticholinergic)
4. Common infection URTI/UTI	Fever, cough and running nose/post stroke neurogenic bladder
5. Urinary retention	Anticholinergic effects of cough mixture/prostatic hypertrophy
6. Constipation	Drug side effects/limited mobility/poor oral intake
7. Social changes	Loss of wife as main caregiver/environmental changes/religious and cultural issues
8. Hypo or hyperglycaemia	Diabetes mellitus/poor oral intake/stress of infection and depression
9. Electrolyte imbalance	Poor oral intake/side effect of perindopril (hyperkalaemia)
10. CNS problems	High cardiovascular risk factors/past history of stroke