Dazed and Confused: The Approach to Altered Mental Status in the ED

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Dazed and Confused: The Approach to Altered Mental Status in the ED

We will all have the experience of taking care of a patient in the emergency department who is acting…different than they normally do.  Sometimes, the change can be subtle, maybe a family member will be the first to notice and bring the patient to be evaluated.  Sometimes the patient makes the change abundantly clear.  In either case it is essential to identify the underlying cause and treat any emergent conditions precipitating this dysfunction of the brain.  This month we hear from Dr. Erin McDonough on her approach to the patient with altered mental status (AMS). 

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The Agitated Patient

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The Agitated Patient

I don’t know if this has happened to you yet.  It happened to me on my first shift as an intern.  I hadn’t laid hand on a stethoscope in months.  I had just unloaded the cardboard boxes from my rental truck into my new place.  As I was settling in to my first few patient encounters one of our nurses approached me to say that a patient had been brought into our area that was extremely agitated.  I looked up to see a man being held down by multiple police officers, thrashing and swearing.  

“What can I give him?” She said.

“How about a hug?” I replied.

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The Approach to the Undifferentiated Patient

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The Approach to the Undifferentiated Patient

Welcome to Bread and Butter Emergency Medicine; a back to basics, chief-complaint-based podcast series where we get a chance to pick the brains of various faculty members and residents regarding their plan of attack for a particular presenting symptom.  Imagine your first shift in the emergency department (or think back on it if you’ve been doing this for a while); a man or woman with the label of “chest pain” or “headache” or “medication refill” is sat down in front of you, staring at you through the glass of your workstation. 

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