Abstract
Non‐pharmacologic interventions have taken the lead in terms of the level of evidence for intervention methods for delirium. However, they have limitations because delirium is a condition with a distinct biological basis. Evidence for pharmacological interventions is accumulating, with antipsychotics for treatment and approaches to melatonin neurotransmission and orexin neurotransmission for prevention. Delirium is a sign of poor prognosis, increases the risk of falls and the development of dementia, and increases the medical and economic burden, so the importance of its prevention is increasingly recognized. Pharmacological interventions evolve in this direction, and therapeutic strategies need to develop with the evolving hypothesis of the pathomechanism of delirium.
