US Medical Term · symptoms
Confusion
Confusión mental
What it means
Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. A confused person may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions. The National Cancer Institute dictionary defines it more briefly as a mental state in which one is not thinking clearly. According to MedlinePlus, confusion may come on quickly or slowly over time, depending on the cause; many times it lasts for a short time and goes away, and it may be associated with delirium or dementia. Listed causes include fever, infections, low blood sugar, head injury, and medicines. MedlinePlus says to call 911 or the local emergency number if confusion has come on suddenly or there are other symptoms, such as fever, headache, or a fast pulse.
Confusion in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Confusión mental
- Gender and article
- feminine: la confusión mental
- Pronunciation
- kohn-foo-SYOHN mehn-TAHL
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| confusión | General | The one-word form MedlinePlus en español prints as the title of its article; the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary also enters the term this way. Neither page prints 'confusión mental'. |
The headword confusión mental is not printed in that two-word form by any of the pages cited here. MedlinePlus en español titles its article simply Confusión, and the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary enters the term as confusión, defined as estado mental en el cual no se piensa con claridad. The Real Academia Española dictionary marks confusión as a feminine noun (la confusión); the senses it lists include perplexity or unease of mind and also a mistake (equivocación, error).
MedlinePlus en español lists desorientación, pensar - sin claridad, pensamientos - confusos and estatus mental alterado - confusión among the alternative names of its article. For the person it writes una persona confundida, and for the state, padece de confusión or presenta confusión. It says confusion may be associated with delirio o demencia. The emergency instruction in Spanish reads llame al 911 o al número local de emergencias when confusion has come on suddenly (súbitamente) or is accompanied by other symptoms.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | My mother has been confused since this morning; she does not know where she is. | Mi madre está confundida desde esta mañana; no sabe dónde está. |
| Clinician | Did the confusion come on suddenly or little by little? | ¿La confusión apareció de repente o poco a poco? |
| Patient | Suddenly. Yesterday she was fine. | De repente. Ayer estaba bien. |
| Clinician | Does she have a fever or a headache, or did she hit her head? | ¿Tiene fiebre o dolor de cabeza, o se golpeó la cabeza? |
| Clinician | Can you tell me your name, your age, and today's date? | ¿Puede decirme su nombre, su edad y la fecha de hoy? |
| Patient | I am having trouble thinking clearly and paying attention. | Me cuesta pensar con claridad y prestar atención. |
| Clinician | I am going to order blood and urine tests to look for the cause. | Voy a pedirle exámenes de sangre y de orina para buscar la causa. |
| Clinician | If confusion comes on suddenly again, call 911 or the local emergency number. | Si la confusión vuelve a presentarse de repente, llame al 911 o al número local de emergencias. |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Confusion |
| Spanish (Español) | Confusión mental |
| Chinese (中文) | 意識混亂 |
| Korean (한국어) | 혼란 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Lú lẫn |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Kalituhan |
| Portuguese (Português) | Confusão mental |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | สับสน |
| Japanese (日本語) | 錯乱 |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: R41 → Other symptoms and signs involving cognitive functions and awarenessRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Brain and nerves
All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios
Sources
- Confusion: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Confusión: MedlinePlus enciclopedia médica — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- confusion — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- confusión — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- confusión — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026