For more than one in five patients over 65, hospital stays are complicated by frightening bouts of confusion known as delirium. Delirium is disturbing, yet it is common enough that many people think it is simply a side effect of serious illness — harmless in its own right. But research has shown that delirium episodes are in fact dangerous, and may be indications that something else is wrong.

With the first 2008 presidential primaries now mere weeks away, issues important to all Americans are gaining momentum in the national dialogue. As voters evaluate the candidates vying for their support, they must decide who best addresses their priorities and concerns.