Correspondence (letter to the editor): In Reply

The aim of our article was to give an overview of the current state of knowledge of delirium in the hospital. In particular, diagnosis, strategies for prevention of delirium, and delirium treatment are essential for the outcome of the patient (1). The statements in our article refer to both internal medicine patients and operative patients, regardless of patient age or pre-existing conditions, and are intended to raise awareness of the problem of delirium in the hospital (2).

We fully support the statements of Professors Kratz and Diefenbacher about postoperative delirium and postoperative cognitive deficits as well as about indications of patients with dementia. However, these patient groups are a special collective that does not reflect the full range of patients in a hospital. Our task must be to ensure targeted delirium prevention, early delirium detection, and rapid delirium treatment in an extensive manner. This is the only way to avoid delirium during hospitalization, or to treat it in a timely manner, for patients with and without cognitive impairment from all specialist disciplines, thereby avoiding a protracted or permanent cognitive impairment (3, 4).