Altered Mental Status

Altered Mental Status

Emergency department physicians are frequently called upon to assess patients with altered mental status. This can be a daunting task for even the most experienced provider because altered mental status is the final common pathway for numerous structural and functional disorders. A rapid but thoroug...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical pediatric emergency medicine Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 68 - 75
Main Authors: Lehman, Rebecca K., MD, Mink, Jonathan, MD, PhD
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Maryland Heights Elsevier Inc 01-06-2008
Elsevier Limited
Subjects:
Blood pressure
Cardiac arrhythmia
coma
Consciousness
Emergency
Medical diagnosis
mental status
Pediatrics
stupor
Ohio
stupor
coma
mental status
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:Emergency department physicians are frequently called upon to assess patients with altered mental status. This can be a daunting task for even the most experienced provider because altered mental status is the final common pathway for numerous structural and functional disorders. A rapid but thorough history, physical, and neurologic examination will generally provide insight into the underlying problem. This article provides an algorithm for evaluating these difficult patients followed by specific neurologic examination pearls. This article also reviews the common etiologies for altered mental status.
ISSN:1522-8401
1558-2310
DOI:10.1016/j.cpem.2008.02.003