The challenge of assessing a patient with dementia and head injury.

Alzheimer's disease is emerging as a major health challenge for the 21st century. The reported case study discusses a 74-year-old woman with dementia of the Alzheimer type who sustained a head injury when she fell down the basement stairs. Differentiating the head injury from the preexisting dementia was complicated and required creative and astute assessment. Objective assessment tools discussed include the Mini-Mental State Examination, a delirium guide, and the Tinetti assessment tool. Predisposition to delirium is significant because of the comorbidities associated with cognitive impairment and head injury. Interventions to prevent delirium are recommended.