Decisional capacity in patients with acute delirium. A Rawlsian approach

Abstract

Delirium is characterized by a temporary, usually reversible, cause of mental alteration; it can occur at any age, but affect most often the elderly. Delirium patients may also present acute psychotic episodes, which might make them decisionally incompetent. In order to assess decisional capacity, Fan et al developed a two-stage approach, which tries to analyse:

– the presence of delirium, using the Confusion Assessment Method;

– a proper analysis of the decisional capacity.

Often, in patients with decreased decisional capacity, physicians must assess which ethical principle should respect first – the principle of autonomy, whose practical implementation is informed consent, or beneficence – the good of the patient, irrespective of the its declared wishes. In this poster, we will look at the issue of decisional capacity in patients with acute delirium from a Rawlsian point of view, and will try to give an answer based on what is just – to respect the autonomy of the patient, or the moral duty to do good to the patient.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.