confused

In medicine, confused state or confusion is the quality or state of being bewildered or unclear. The term “acute mental confusion”^[1] often used interchangeably with delirium^[2] in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. And the Medical Subject Headings publications to describe the pathology. These refer to the loss of orientation., Or the ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time, location and personal identity. Mental confusion is sometimes accompanied by disordered consciousness (the loss of linear thinking) and memory loss (the inability to correctly recall previous events or learn new material).^[3]

Etymology

The word confusion derives from the Latin word, confundo, which means “confuse, mix, blend, pour together, disorder, embroil.”

Causes

Confusion may result from drug side effects or from a relatively sudden brain dysfunction. Acute confusion is often called delirium (or “acute confusional state”),^[4] although delirium often includes a much broader array of disorders than simple confusion. These disorders include the inability to focus attention; various impairments in awareness, and temporal or spatial dis-orientation. Mental confusion can result from chronic organic brain pathologies, such as dementia^{[citation needed]}, as well.