Picking at the air.....

[OneChattyNurse]

when i was in nursing school 10 years ago, one of my instructors told us the term used to describe when a person picks at the air.

i thought i remembered the term, but unfortunately i cannot find it anywhere, so i must have remembered it wrong. if anyone could help me with this, i would really appreciate it!

thanks!

[jemb]

I've heard it called 'woolgathering', but I don't think that is anything official.

[BRANDY LPN]

I've heard it called 'woolgathering', but I don't think that is anything official.

I always thought woolgathering was the same as daydreaming. Maybe it has multiple uses.

[Koalablue]

`de novo automatism'??

[b1spth68]

i'm just new today...so hello to all. i'm from ontario canada. we have had many pts (picking at the air) when they get to a certain stage. i believe they are looking at something that only they can see. i thought it was quite common. my dad did the same just before he died. though, i haven't followed through on it, i would like to know what it's all about... b1spth68

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I call it picking grapes. We tend to see it in the kiddies experiencing opioid withdrawal.

[gladtobeOB]

I am thinking something like tardive dyskinesia but I don't think that is actually right either.......let me think some more.

[Yellow Rose RN]

It is possibly.....

Pill rolling? It is a symptom of tardive dyskinesia. It seems as if a person is "rolling" a small peice of something in between their fingers

[talaxandra]

We always use 'plucking' because it looks as though they're plucking something invisible. I know it doesn't sound technical, but the residents, registrars and consultants use it too. Oh, and though pill-rolling doesn't sound technical I believe that's the right term for those rhythmic rolling movements you get with some tardive dyskenesias :)

[redheadRN]

Hi there all! I'm new to this, but at our LTC facility we see alot of Alzheimer's residents with this symptom. It's called carphologia.

[systemloc]

The Greek term "Carphologia" literally means "picking at chips", and is often used to describe picking at the air, lint, clothing, and bedding. It was first described by Hippocrates as a particularly bad prognostic sign in delirium. There's a short bit in wikipedia that mentions a few other less commonly used terms.