CLINICAL EVALUATION OF AN UNCONSCIOUS PATIENT
CLINICAL EVALUATION OF AN UNCONSCIOUS PATIENT- NEUROLOGICAL VERSUS NON-NEUROLOGICAL Neurologists and internists are commonly called in to evaluate an unconscious patient, most often in an emergency room or in ICU. There are a large number of causes of unconsciousness, which can be broadly classified into neurological and non-neurological. Common examples of neurological causes of unconscious state are: 1. Brain stroke-infarct or hemorrhage; CVST, 2. Brain tumor, 3. Head injury, 4. CNS infection- encephalitis, meningitis, 5. Seizures, 6. Demyelinating illnesses- ADEM, acute MS (rare). Common examples of non-neurological causes of unconscious state: 1. Metabolic derangements- high or low sugar, sodium, calcium, etc 2. Renal or hepatic failure, 3. Severe hypoxia or hypercapnia, 4. Hypotension & shock, 5. Drug-induced (sedatives, hypnotics) & poisoning 6. Psychogenic. Clinical clues favouring a neurological cause of depressed consciousness level: 1. Hist