Question

pathophysiology of Altered Mental Status?

Answer 1

Ans: Altered Mental Status: Altered mental status is actually a term used for a range of symptoms or indications like:

(a). Sudden or gradual change in brain function.

(b). Defect in judgement.

(c). Disorientation.

(d). Confusion.

(e). Coma.

Pathophysiology of altered mental status:

Many etiological causes lead to altered mental status. It can be described as under :

(a). Metabolic cause: Hypernutremia/hyponutremia both can lead to altered mental status. Other metabolic causes are uremia , hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and also increased level of PCO2 or decreased level of PO2. Failure of hepatic function can also lead to altered mental status.

(b). Infectious cause: Infection either outside CNS like pneumonia and urinary tract infection or inside CNS like encephalitis leads to altered mental status.

(c). Structural cause: When the etiologic cause is structural it can be subdural hemorrhage, the pool of blood formed between the brain and outer most covering may hinder the brain functions which may lead to altered mental status.

(d).Toxin: Another etiological factor is the overdose of opiate which can also be life threatening at that instant.

Therefore any of these etiological causes leads to altered mental status by changing the brain function then creating defect in judgement/thought which leads to stranger behavior and then to unconsciousness and coma.