A nurse is assessing a client who has delirium due to a febrile illness. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Hallucinations: Hallucinations are common in clients experiencing delirium, especially when it is related to a febrile or acute medical illness. They can involve seeing or hearing things that are not present and reflect the acute cognitive disturbances characteristic of delirium. B. Agnosia: Agnosia is the inability to recognize familiar objects, people, or sounds and is more commonly associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia rather than acute delirium. It is not a typical finding in febrile-induced delirium. C. Bradycardia: Delirium related to a febrile illness usually does not cause bradycardia. Vital signs are more likely to show tachycardia due to fever or systemic infection. Bradycardia would suggest a different cardiac or medication-related issue. D. Aphasia: Aphasia, the impairment of language expression or comprehension, is generally linked to stroke or localized brain injury. It is not a common manifestation of acute delirium caused by a febrile illness.