1. Usually a brief state of excitement and mental confusion often accompanied by hallucinations.
2. A state of violent mental agitation marked by extreme restlessness, confusion, and sometimes hallucinations; which may be caused by fever, poisoning, or brain injury.
3. A temporary state of mental confusion, fluctuating consciousness, extreme excitement or emotion resulting from high fever, intoxication, shock, or other causes.

It is characterized by anxiety, disorientation, hallucinations, delusions, uncontrolled excitement or emotion, and incoherent speech.

4. Etymology: from Latin delirium, "madness"; from deliriare, "to be crazy, to rave"; literally, "to go off the furrow"; a plowing metaphor, from the phrase de-, "off, away" + lira, "the earth thrown up between two furrows, furrow".

Delirium tremens is Modern Latin, "trembling delirium"; introduced in 1813 by British physician Thomas Sutton, for "that form of delirium which is rendered worse by bleeding, but improved by opium."

1. Delirium of recent, rapid onset.
2. A suddenly appearing and severe delirium lasting for only a short time.

An acute organic mental disorder resulting from a recent cessation or reduction in alcohol consumption with the essential characteristic being delirium: Alcohol withdrawal delirium is an autonomic hyperactivity that is characterized by tachycardia (fast heart beat), sweating, and elevated blood pressure. It was formerly called "delirium tremens".

Another characteristic of alcohol withdrawal delirium includes the DTs, "the horrors", "the shakes", or" "rum fits", literally, "shaking delirium" or "trembling madness" (in Latin).

Alcohol withdrawal delirium is an acute episode of delirium which is usually caused by abstinence, from alcohol following habitual excessive drinking.

A severe form of alcohol withdrawal that involves sudden and severe mental or neurological changes: Alcohol withdrawal delirium tremens can occur after a period of heavy alcohol drinking, especially when the person does not eat enough food.

Alcohol withdrawal delirium may also be triggered by head injury, infection, or illness in people with a history of heavy use of alcohol."

Alcohol withdrawal delirium tremens is most common in people who have a history of alcohol withdrawal, especially in those who drink the equivalent of seven to eight pints of beer (or one pint of "hard" liquor) every day for several months. Alcohol withdrawal delirium tremens also commonly affects those with a history of habitual alcohol use or alcoholism that has existed for more than ten years.

Alcohol withdrawal delirium tremens symptoms occur because of the toxic effects of alcohol on the brain and nervous system. It may be severe and get worse very quickly which is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.

The treatment of alcohol withdrawal delirium tremens includes observation, comfort care, and in some cases medication.

Delirium in which the predominating symptom is an incoherent apprehension or anxiety.

Delirium caused by extreme physical depression induced by a shock, profuse hemorrhage, exhausting labor, etc.

The delirium resulting from fever.

1. Delirium marked by confusion of ideas and slowness of mental action rather than by excitement.
2. Delirium in which there is little excitement, either mental or motor, the ideas being confused and incoherent, but following each other slowly.

Delirium caused by a structural traumatic brain injury.

A form of senile dementia, usually of acute onset and characterized by disorientation, restlessness, insomnia, hallucinations, and aimless wandering.

That kind of delirium which can occur during intoxication with any of a variety of substances; including, alcohol, amphetamines and related substances, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, phencyclidine and related substances; and sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics.

Specific disorders are identified by the substance involved.

Associated with substance intoxication (substance intoxication delirium), substance withdrawal (substance withdrawal delirium), medication side effects, or exposure to toxins.

Individual cases are named for the specific substance involved; for example, "digitalis-induced delirium".

Delirium caused by poisons.

1. That which follows severe head injury; superficially the patient is alert, but there is marked disorientation, memory defect, and confabulation.
2. A variety of delirium following injury; especially a head injury; possibly resulting in insanity, frenzy, madness, derangement, aberration, mania, lunacy, and fury.