Altered mental status
Altered Mental Status
Altered Mental Status (pronunciation: al-terd men-tl sta-tus) is a medical term that refers to a broad spectrum of disorders characterized by changes in a patient's consciousness, cognition, perception, affect, or behavior.
Etymology
The term "Altered Mental Status" is derived from the Latin words "alterare" meaning to change, "mens" meaning mind, and "status" meaning condition.
Definition
Altered Mental Status (AMS) is a disruption in how your brain works that causes a change in behavior, such as confusion, amnesia, loss of alertness, or disorientation. This can occur suddenly or over time and is often a sign of a serious medical condition that requires immediate attention.
Causes
AMS can be caused by a variety of conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, seizure, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, dehydration, infection, drug overdose, alcohol withdrawal, and psychiatric disorders.
Symptoms
Symptoms of AMS can vary widely depending on the underlying cause, but may include confusion, disorientation, agitation, lethargy, hallucinations, and changes in personality or behavior.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of AMS involves a thorough medical history, physical examination, and often, diagnostic tests such as blood tests, urinalysis, imaging studies, and sometimes, lumbar puncture.
Treatment
Treatment of AMS is aimed at addressing the underlying cause and may involve medications, intravenous fluids, oxygen therapy, or other interventions as appropriate.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Altered mental status
- Wikipedia's article - Altered mental status
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski