Acute encephalopathies.
In daily hospital activity a frequent observation is that of patients in conditions of acute global suffering of the central nervous system due to a primary cause or symptomatic of other diseases. This condition shows an alteration of the state of consciousness, which involves three possible semeiologic manifestations: delirium (acute confusional state), acute confusional state associated with psychomotor underactivity and coma. The possible causes of an acute encephalopathy (AE) are: metabolic, iatrogenic and toxic, infective, primary neurologic, surgery-related and others. Diagnostic-therapeutic routes to be followed by emergency room doctors and neurologists dealing with AE are defined.
Guidotti
M
M
Neurologic Unit, Valduce General Hospital, Via Dante 11, I-22100 Como, Italy. mguidotti@valduce.it
Chiveri
L
L
Mauri
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans