Delirium Excited Syndrome History

Abstract

Taken into account the previous observations for the last 15 years by important forensics we have got the appreciation of a new syndrome that can make us dead suddenly. It is called Delirium Excited Syndrome. However, a century ago a syndrome with the same characteristics was already found. In these cases the acute excitation, agitation and violent people were very common and for this reason it was called «mania de Bell» in honor of its discoverer Luther Bell. After a long period of time in which the identity disappeared from Scientific Literature, it was happened a century ago during the 80s when Welti and Fishbain coined the term Delirium Excited Syndrome in order to make reference to the death of patients that were withheld after presenting a bizarre and violent behaviour inside a previous drug use context, essentially cocaine. These detainees were withheld being in prone position on the floor with their hands and/or ankles handcuffed, what is known as «hog-tying», a method that was allowed to some cops in United States to move very violent detainees. The current theories explain the death of this type of patients as a result of neurochemical changes in the nuclei level in patients that consume cocaine. Thanks to this review article we can try to describe the variations that this so striking table has been suffering throughout the years in our present society.