Delirium is a sudden change in thinking, attention and awareness that commonly occurs during illness or after surgery. It can be thought of as “acute brain failure”, where the brain temporarily stops working normally.
Dr Anita Nitchingham is a Geriatrician at Prince of Wales Hospital and a Conjoint Lecturer at UNSW, specialising in delirium in older people. Dr Nitchingham’s research focuses on improving the prevention, treatment and recovery of delirium to help older adults maintain their independence and brain health.
Dr Nitchingham is particularly interested in recovery after delirium as it is a major risk factor for dementia, with up to 30% of older people discharged from hospital with ongoing delirium symptoms. As a clinician, she sees this as a missed opportunity to better support recovery and improve long-term outcomes.
