Question

Mental dysfunction in an elderly person may seem like a normal part of aging, but it can result from disease or another cause. What should the ER staff do first for a presenting elderly person with a mental dysfunction such as extreme confusion?
1. Check serum electrolyte levels.
2. Order an ECG.
3. Review the drugs being taken.
4. Administer a stimulant.

Answer 1

"Review the drugs being taken" should the ER staff do first for a presenting elderly person with a mental dysfunction such as extreme confusion.

Option: 3

Explanation:

Dysfunctioning mental conditions are those which affect an individual's thought, feeling, mood, and actions. These can be sporadic (chronic) or long term. They can affect an individual's performance to connect and work with others every day.

The mental dysfunction is umbrella term for anxiety which involve panic, obsessive-compulsive and phobias; depression and mood swings; eating and personality disorders;  post-traumatic stress and psychotic disorders. The ER staff will review the drugs which has been consumed by an elderly patient to understand the medication history, because in number of cases the confusion, anxiety, and other responses get originated due to some medicine which has been taken for some another diseases.