Half of cancer patients who have stem cell transplants show signs of delirium after the procedure, says a study to be published in the Feb. 15 issue of Cancer.These signs of delirium can be subtle and easily missed by doctors, the study noted. The symptoms include disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle, impaired attention and memory, and hypoactive behavior.Classic symptoms of delirium include hallucinations, delusions, agitation and disorientation.The study found the severity of delirium is associated with the levels of distress, pain and fatigue experienced by patients. This is the first research to identify this link between stem cell transplantation and delirium, the researchers said.
