COMA

Course overview

ALTERED MENTAL STATUS IS A CATCH-ALL TERM THAT INCLUDES A SPECTRUM OF PATIENT BEHAVIORS RANGING FROM CONFUSION TO DEEP UNRESPONSIVENESS. COMA IS AT ONE END OF THAT SPECTRUM AND IS MORE RIGOROUSLY DEFINED AS AN EYES-CLOSED STATE OF DEEP UNCONSCIOUSNESS WITH AN INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO STIMULATION THAT LASTS FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. THE FIRST GOAL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF A COMATOSE PATIENT IS TO STABILIZE THE PATIENT AND DIAGNOSE ANY RAPIDLY REVERSIBLE CAUSES OF COMA SUCH AS HYPOGLYCEMIA. AFTER STABILIZATION, THE CAREGIVER CAN THEN PURSUE EVALUATION THAT WILL SORT THE ETIOLOGY OF COMA INTO STRUCTURAL OR NONSTRUCTURAL CAUSES THIS ACTIVITY WILL REVIEW THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF COMA AND CONSIDERATIONS THAT MUST BE INVOLVED IN SELECTING APPROPRIATE TREATMENT. THIS ACTIVITY WILL HIGHLIGHT THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN RECOGNIZING AND TREATING COMATOSE PATIENTS.