Stupor (patient information)

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Stupor

Overview

What are the causes?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Stupor?

Stupor On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Stupor

Videos on Stupor

FDA on Stupor

CDC on Stupor

Stupor in the news

Blogs on Stupor

Directions to Hospitals Treating Stupor

Risk calculators and risk factors for Stupor

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.

Overview

Stupor is a state of reduced awareness.

A coma is a state of decreased alertness from which a patient cannot be awakened. A long-term coma is called a vegetative state.

What causes Stupor?

Many conditions can cause decreased alertness, including:

Brain disorders or injury, such as:

Injury or accidents, such as:

Heart or breathing problems, such as:

Toxins and drugs, such as:

  • Alcohol abuse (binge drinking or damage from long-term alcohol use)
  • Exposure to heavy metals, hydrocarbons, or toxic gases
  • Overuse of drugs such as opiates, narcotics, sedatives, and anti-anxiety or seizure medications
  • Side effect of almost any medicine, such as those used to treat seizures, depression, psychosis, and other illnesses.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Get medical help if someone has decreased alertness that cannot be explained. Call your local emergency number (such as 911) if normal alertness does not return quickly.

Diagnosis

Most often, a person with decreased consciousness will be evaluated in an emergency room.

The doctor will perform a physical examination. The exam will include a detailed look at the heart, breathing, and nervous system.

The health care team will ask questions about the person's medical history and symptoms, including

  • Time pattern
    • When did the decreased alertness happen?
    • How long did it last?
    • Has it ever happened before? If so, how many times?
    • Did the person behave the same way during past episodes?
  • Medical history
    • Does the person have epilepsy or a seizure disorder?
    • Does the person have diabetes?
    • Has the person been sleeping well?
    • Has there been a recent head injury?
  • Other
    • What medications does the person take?
    • Does the person use alcohol or drugs on a regular basis?
    • What other symptoms are present?

Tests that may be done include:

  • Chest x-ray
  • Complete blood count or blood differential
  • CT scan or MRI of the head
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG)
  • Electrolyte panel
  • Toxicology panel
  • Urinalysis

Treatment options

Treatment depends on the cause of the decreased alertness. How well a person does depends on the cause of the condition. The longer the person has had decreased alertness, the worse the outcome.

Home care

Home Care Get medical help for any decrease in consciousness, even when it is due to alcohol intoxication, fainting, or a seizure disorder that has already been diagnosed.

Persons with epilepsy or other seizure disorder should carry a Medic-Alert bracelet or pendant describing their condition. They should avoid situations that have triggered a seizure in the past.

Where to find medical care for Stupor?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Stupor

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003202.htm Template:WH Template:WS