Neurológia pre prax 2/2017

Disorders of consciousness

Disorders of consciousness accompany a wide range of diseases, involving almost all branches of medicine. Despite different etiology, in the first contact with the patient we should follow a standardized diagnostic approach in order to distinguish the acutest cases. In less serious cases we have more time for diagnostics – detailed medical history and further investigations help us to discover the cause of the problem. The border between the urgent medicine procedures and observation are defined by the stability of the patient. The aim of this article is not to give a review of anatomy, physiology and neurological examination. It should rather inform the clinician that even though the differential diagnosis can be initially wide, the first steps of diagnostic and therapeutic process determine the patient's survival.

Keywords: confusion, delirium, lucidity, obnubilation, disorders of consciousness, vigilance, ABCDE algorithm, Glasgow coma scale