also: せんぼう
noun
Medical term for an acute confusional state, often with hallucinations and disorientation. Used in clinical contexts.
高齢の患者にせん妄が現れた。
The elderly patient developed delirium.
せん妄の症状には幻覚
Symptoms of delirium include hallucinations and confusion.
Full kanji form using the traditional character 譫; rarely used in modern medical writing.
Full kanji form with the rare reading せんぼう.
意識障害 is a broader term for disturbances of consciousness, while せん妄 specifically refers to an acute, fluctuating confusional state often with perceptual disturbances.
From Chinese 譫妄 (zhānwàng), a medical term combining 譫 (incoherent talk) and 妄 (absurd, rash). The Japanese simplified form せん妄 replaces 譫 with the simpler character せん.