- Section 1 ICU organization and management
- Section 2 Pharmacotherapeutics
- Section 3 Resuscitation
- Section 4 The respiratory system
- Section 5 The cardiovascular system
- Section 6 The gastrointestinal system
- Section 7 Nutrition
- Section 8 The renal system
- Section 9 The neurological system
- Part 9.1 Anatomy and physiology
- Part 9.2 Neurological monitoring
- Part 9.3 Sleep disturbance
- Part 9.4 Agitation, confusion, and delirium
- Part 9.5 The unconscious patient
- Chapter 228 Causes and diagnosis of unconsciousness
- Chapter 229 Management of unconsciousness in the ICU
- Chapter 230 Non-pharmacological neuroprotection in the ICU
- Part 9.6 Seizures
- Part 9.7 Intracranial hypertension
- Part 9.8 Stroke
- Part 9.9 Non-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Part 9.10 Meningitis and encephalitis
- Part 9.11 Non-traumatic spinal injury
- Part 9.12 Neuromuscular syndromes
- Section 10 The metabolic and endocrine systems
- Section 11 The haematological system
- Section 12 The skin and connective tissue
- Section 13 Infection
- Section 14 Inflammation
- Section 15 Poisoning
- Section 16 Trauma
- Section 17 Physical disorders
- Section 18 Pain and sedation
- Section 19 General surgical and obstetric intensive care
- Section 20 Specialized intensive care
- Section 21 Recovery from critical illness
- Section 22 End-of-life care
Causes and diagnosis of unconsciousness
- Chapter:
- Causes and diagnosis of unconsciousness
- Author(s):
Robert D. Stevens
and Joshua Kornbluth
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199600830.003.0228
Changes in consciousness are seen in a range of physiological and pathological settings including sleep, anaesthesia, brain lesions, metabolic disturbances, and complex partial or generalized seizures. In neurobiological terms, consciousness may be viewed as having an arousal dimension and an awareness dimension phenotypically expressed as the capacity to respond to self or environmental stimuli. Loss of consciousness is associated with lesions that disrupt neuronal systems in the brainstem and diencephalon that mediate arousal or thalamocortical or corticocortical systems that mediate awareness. As there are many causes of unconsciousness, a timely and focused history and neurologic examination are critical to defining the differential diagnosis.
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- Section 1 ICU organization and management
- Section 2 Pharmacotherapeutics
- Section 3 Resuscitation
- Section 4 The respiratory system
- Section 5 The cardiovascular system
- Section 6 The gastrointestinal system
- Section 7 Nutrition
- Section 8 The renal system
- Section 9 The neurological system
- Part 9.1 Anatomy and physiology
- Part 9.2 Neurological monitoring
- Part 9.3 Sleep disturbance
- Part 9.4 Agitation, confusion, and delirium
- Part 9.5 The unconscious patient
- Chapter 228 Causes and diagnosis of unconsciousness
- Chapter 229 Management of unconsciousness in the ICU
- Chapter 230 Non-pharmacological neuroprotection in the ICU
- Part 9.6 Seizures
- Part 9.7 Intracranial hypertension
- Part 9.8 Stroke
- Part 9.9 Non-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Part 9.10 Meningitis and encephalitis
- Part 9.11 Non-traumatic spinal injury
- Part 9.12 Neuromuscular syndromes
- Section 10 The metabolic and endocrine systems
- Section 11 The haematological system
- Section 12 The skin and connective tissue
- Section 13 Infection
- Section 14 Inflammation
- Section 15 Poisoning
- Section 16 Trauma
- Section 17 Physical disorders
- Section 18 Pain and sedation
- Section 19 General surgical and obstetric intensive care
- Section 20 Specialized intensive care
- Section 21 Recovery from critical illness
- Section 22 End-of-life care