Is this Sundowners?

trottingalong · January 24

Last night I was completely caught off guard. My DH was admitted to the hospital for sepsis and UTI on Sunday so he could get IV antibiotics. He is being released today. Some confusion being here, but nothing major. I went home to feed our dog and shortly after getting home he called frantic because he was thinking we were in our old house hundreds of miles away we left 20 years ago. And there were 3 strange women wanting to do heart surgery on him. I hurried back and for the next 8 hours he thought we were in a horrible motel, didn’t know his dogs name, thought we were in the middle of moving, annd wandering around the room, etc. I’m truly surprised he knew me. This has NEVER happened. In the last 6-8 months he has moved into the next phase of obvious short term memory loss and hard time with comprehension and I know being here has created some more confusion. But last night was like a bomb going off. I keep hoping getting him home will make him back where he was? And I was awake all night and should I call his dr now about getting a prescription for something?

easy23 · January 24

Maybe it's hospital delirium. My DH gets it every time he is in the hospital. He will think he's on a boat or an office or in a basement. Nothing makes sense. It usually lasts until he gets home.

harshedbuzz · January 24

I agree with @easy23 hospital delirium is real and stunning.

My friend's husband, who didn't have dementia, was like nothing I'd ever seen in the hospital last summer. He called hospital security and told them his wife was stealing his drugs to sell and demanded they search her tote bag which had only her iPad and a bible in it. The next day, he escalated and called 911 on her.

He'll probably improve once he's home, but maybe not to the stage he was prior to the infection.

HB

trottingalong · January 24

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/195778#Comment_195778

I think you may be correct. A nurse just told me the same thing. We are being released shortly so I’m hoping home is going to be where he needs to be. I had never heard of that before.

trottingalong · January 24

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/195787#Comment_195787

I had never heard of this before today. I believe it’s what it must have been. Very disconcerting.

ButterflyWings · January 24

FWIW, my DH experienced SERIOUS hospital delirium and within a few days of discharge to home he was back to baseline in that regard. Same with another elder family member (non PWD). I guess you never know.

trottingalong · January 24

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/195798#Comment_195798

It’s all new to me. I’m happy to have my DH back

Quilting brings calm · January 24

Definitely hospital delirium and the UTI.

ImMaggieMae · January 24

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/195809#Comment_195809

I agree. The cognitive after effects of a UTI can last a while too and are much the same as hospital delirium. It’s frightening that UTI’s can cause so many other problems.

ImMaggieMae · January 25

Another thought is to keep a supply of UTI home test strips on hand. AZO is the brand we use and you can get them from Amazon or some pharmacies. Any time my DH is acting more confused or agitated than usual, I get a urine sample and test it. If it’s positive I take a sample to the doc or urgent care for an antibiotic and they send it out to be cultured. The test strips seem to be accurate unless you only have a drop or two of urine. Then they often show a false positive. You need a couple tablespoons at least.

trottingalong · January 25

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/195868#Comment_195868

thank you. I had no idea you could get these.

PookieBlue · January 25

Years ago my DH with MCI had been hospitalized for heart stent placement. During the night he pulled out his IV lines, his ekg leads and his urinary catheter. He was looking for his clothes to go home. He was bleeding all over the floor and it was quite traumatic for him. I took him home in the afternoon and he was back to baseline.

trottingalong · January 26

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/195893#Comment_195893

That would have been traumatic. My DH is so much better tonight than he even was this morning. More the standard of what he was prior to going to the hospital.

LaneyG · January 26

I’ve experienced hospital delirium with my husband as well. Never knew it was a real thing. I keep learning on this forum….thanks all.

Is this Sundowners?

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