[Acute confusional episode--delirium in elderly patients. Definition, etiology and treatment].

Delirium, (acute confusional episode in European nomenclature) frequently occurs to elderly patients. This confusional condition is characterized by a sudden beginning and fluctuating clinical manifestations. It can bring out or showup a large number of illnesses. Generally transient and reversible, confusional state remains a medical emergency, motivating numerous consilium and psychiatric admissions. On the base of a case report, we aim to recall the high frequency of this affection in a somatic context and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.