Evaluation of coma

Last reviewed: 7 May 2023
Last updated: 14 Jul 2022

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Stroke
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Hypertensive encephalopathy
  • Basilar artery thrombosis
  • Cerebral venous thrombosis
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Substance abuse and overdose
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Sepsis-associated encephalopathy
  • Bacterial meningitis
  • Syncope
  • Seizure disorder
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Hyperglycemia
  • Hepatic encephalopathy
  • Hyponatremia
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Wernicke encephalopathy
  • Hypophosphatemia
Full details

Uncommon

  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Encephalitis
  • Brain abscess
  • Brain tumor
  • Hypernatremia
  • Hypercalcemia
  • Hypocalcemia
  • Hypermagnesemia
  • Hypomagnesemia
  • Porphyria
  • Mitochondrial disorder
  • Thyroid storm
  • Burns
  • Hyperthermia
  • Hypothermia
  • Psychogenic unresponsiveness
  • Locked-in state
Full details

Contributors

Authors

G. Bryan Young, MD, FRCPC
G. Bryan Young

Professor of Neurology

University of Western Ontario

ON

Canada

Disclosures

GBY declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Paul Vespa, MD

Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery

Director of Neurocritical Care

David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California

LA

Disclosures

PV declares that he has no competing interests.

Steven Laureys, MD, PhD

Department of Neurology

Liege University Hospital

Head

Coma Science Group

Senior Research Associate

Belgian National Funds for Scientific Research

Cyclotron Research Centre

University of Liege

Belgium

Disclosures

SL declares that he has no competing interests.

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