Altered mental status and endocrine diseases.
Although the altered mental status is a common presentation in the emergency department, altered mental status caused by endocrine emergencies is rare. The altered patient could have an endocrine cause that can quickly improve with appropriate diagnosis and interventions. When dealing with limited information and an obtunded patient, it is important to have a broad differential diagnosis, pick up on the physical examination findings, and evaluate laboratory abnormalities that could suggest an underlying endocrine emergency. This article outlines the findings and provides a description of altered patients with endocrine emergencies to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment in the emergency department.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 1504 Taub Loop Road, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Elizabeth
E
Park
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 South Paca Street, 6th Floor Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Electronic address: mabra003@umaryland.edu.
Michael K
MK
Abraham
D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008609:Mental Status Schedule
Addison disease; Altered mental status; Diabetic ketoacidosis; Myxedema coma; Pheochromocytoma; Thyroid storm