Delirium

Delirium, condition common in many illnesses in which the sufferer is temporarily disoriented and incoherent and may have hallucinations and delusions. Any disease causing high fever may bring on delirium. In severe cases, the victim may be maniacal and require physical restraint. Delirium is a symptom rather than a disease, and hence is not treated by any specific measures other than those used to combat the causative disease and to reduce the patient's fever. Delirium may be due to causes other than high fever, such as exhaustion from nutritional disturbance, unusual excitement, psychosensory impairment, severe head injury, and drug addiction. See Delirium Tremens.