Altered mental status causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Pratik Bahekar, MBBS [2] Kiran Singh, M.D. [3]

Overview

Life threatening causes of altered mental status include malignant hypertension, myocardial infarction, rabies and sepsis. Other common causes of altered mental status include alcohol withdrawal, dehydration, electrolyte disturbance and hypoglycemia.

Causes

Life Threatening Causes

• Carbon monoxide toxicity
• Heat stroke
• Hypothermia
• Malignant hypertension
• Myocardial infarction
• Rabies
• Sepsis

Common Causes

• Alcohol withdrawal
• Drug withdrawal
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte disturbance
• Encephalitis
• Epileptic seizures
• Hyperglycemia
• Hypoglycemia
• Meningitis
• Sepsis

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	Malignant hypertension, Heart failure, Myocardial infarction, Congestive heart failure, Ventricular arrhythmia
Chemical/Poisoning	Withdrawal states from ethanol, benzodiazepines,Water hemlock poisoning, Toxic mushrooms -- Monomethylhydrazine ,Toluene, Texas Mescalbean poisoning,Poison hemlock, Organic solvent, Methanol , Marijuana, Lead, Jimson weed, Hyperbaric sickness, Hydrogen sulfide , Heroin ,Hallucinogens, Ethylene glycol, Ethanol, Daphne poisoning, Cyanide, Carbon tetrachloride, Carbon monoxide toxicity, Alcohol withdrawal, Thallium Sulfate poisoning,Phencyclidine poisoning, Nickel, Carbonyl poisoning
Dental	No underlying causes
Dermatologic	No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect	Acyclovir, Alfentanil, Alphaprodine, Amantadine, Amiloride, Aminoglycosides, Aminophylline, Amitriptyline, AmlodipineAmobarbitalAmphetamine, Amphotericin B, AnalgesicsAntiarrhythmics, Anticholinergics, Antidepressants Antiemetics, Antihistamines Antimalarials, Antipsychotic agents, Antispasmodics, Apomorphine, Aripiprazole, Armodafinil, Amobarbital, Asparaginase, Aspirin, Atropine, Baclofen, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Beta blockers, Blinatumomab, Bromocriptine, Bupivacaine, Buprenorphine, Butorphanol, Cabergoline, Camphorated opium tincture, carbamazepine, Carbamazepine, Cephalosporins, Chlophedianol, Chloroquine, Chlorpheniramine, Chlorpromazine,Cholinesterase inhibitors, Cinnarizine, Ciprofloxacin, Clomethiazole, Clonazepam, Clonidine, Clozapine, Cocaine, Codeine, Corticosteroids, Cyclazocine, Cyclobenzaprine, Cycloserine, Deserpidine, Desipramine, Dexamfetamine, Dextromoramide, Dezocine, Diamorphine, Diazepam, Digoxin, Dihydrocodeine, Diphenhydramine, Dipipanone, Disulfiram, Diuretics, Domperidone, Donepezil, Dopamine agonists Dothiepin, doxylamine, Drug overdose,drug withdrawal, Efavirenz, EszopicloneEthosuximide, Ethotoin, Ethylmorphine, Fentanyl, Fludarabine, Fluoroquinolones, gabapentinGeneral anaesthesia, Glutethimide, Guanethidine, Hallucinogens, Histamine-2 receptor blocker, Hydromorphone, Hydroxyzine, Ifosfamide, Interferon, Interleukin, Isoniazid, Ketobemidone, L-dopa, Lanatoside C, Lenalidomide, Levetiracetam, Levodopa, Levomepromazine, Levorphanol, Lidocaine, Linezolid, lithium, Loperamide, Lorazepam, Lysergic acid diethylamide, Lysuride, Macrolides, Marijuana, Memantine, Meptazinol, Mescaline, Methadone, Methadyl acetate, Methcathinone, Methyldopa, Methyldopate, Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, Methylphenidate, Metronidazole, Mirtazapine, Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, Monomethylhydrazine, Morphine, Muscle relaxant, Mushrooms, Nabilone, Nalbuphine, Nalidixic acid, Nelarabine, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Norfloxacin, Norpropoxyphene, Nortriptyline, Noscapine, olanzapine, Opiates, Opium, Nitrazepam, Oxazepam, Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Oxymorphone, Papaveretum, Penicillins, Pentazocine, Perampanel, Pergolide, Pethidine, Phenazocine, Phencyclidine, Phenelzine, Phenobarbital, Phenoperidine, Phenothiazines, Phentermine, Phenytoin, Pholcodine, Piribedil, Piritramide, Pizotifen, Pomalidomide, Pramipexole, Prednisolone, Primidone, Prochlorperazine, Propoxyphene, Propranolol, Psychotropics, quetiapine, Quinine, Quinolones, Ramelteon, Rasagiline, Remifentanil, Reserpine, Retigabine, Rifampin, Risperidone, Rivastigmine, Ropinirole, Salicylate, secobarbital, Sedative hypnotics, Sedatives, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Selegiline, Skeletal muscle relaxant, St John's wort, Steroid abuse, Sufentanil, Sulfonamidesthioridazine, tricyclic antidepressants,Zaleplon, ziprasidone zolpidem, zopiclone
Ear Nose Throat	Burns, chester porphyria, decompression sickness, porphyria
Endocrine	Addisonian crisis, Adrenal cortex insufficiency , Carcinoid crisis, Cushing syndrome, Diabetic coma, Diabetic hypoglycemia, Diabetic ketoacidosis, Elevated or depressed adrenal function, Elevated or depressed pancreas function, Elevated or depressed pituitary function Hyperglycemia, Hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic coma, Hyperosmolar states, Hyperthyroidism, Hypoglycemia, Hypopituitarism, Hypothyroidism, Myxedema coma, Phaeochromocytoma, Pituitary apoplexy Thyrotoxicosis
Environmental	Hypothermia, hyperthermia, heat stroke, electric shock, decompression sickness, acute Altitude sickness
Gastroenterologic	Acute diverticulitis, Acute Liver failure, Appendicitis, carcinoid crisis , Chronic liver failure, Chronic Liver failure, Cirrhosis of liver, Constipation Elevated or depressed pancreas function, Hepatic encephalopathy,Hepatic failure, Mesenteric ischemia, Mucormycosis, Reye's syndrome, Rhinocerebral mucormycosis, Rhinocerebral zygomycosis
Genetic	Acute intermittent porphyria, Adrenal leukodystrophy, Chester porphyria, citrullinemia type 2, coproporphyria, hereditary,
Hematologic	Chester porphyria, Disseminated intravascular coagulation, Folate deficiency, Hypovolemia, Internal bleeding, Hypercoagulable state, Hypereosinophilia, Leukostasis, Methemoglobinemia, Polycythemia,Porphyria, Prothrombotic state, Pulmonary embolism, Severe hemorrhage
Iatrogenic	Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, serotonin syndrome
Infectious Disease	Viral hemorrhagic fever, Vancomycin resistant enterococcal bacteremia, Urinary tract infection, Typhoid fever, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, Systemic infection, Wound#infectionSurgical wound infection, Subdural empyema, Sleeping sickness (West African), Sleeping sickness (East African), Sepsis, Rickettsiae, Rabies , Pyelonephritis, acute, Plague , Neurocysticercosis,Malaria, Intraspinal abscess / granuloma, Intracranial abscess / granuloma, Gangrene , Chest infection, Cerebral malaria,Brain or epidural abscess, Brain infection, Infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever), Lyme disease
Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic	Fibromyalgia
Neurologic	Acute altitude sickness, Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Advanced sleep phase disorder , Bacterial meningitis, Basilar occlusion, Bilateral anterior cerebral artery occlusion, Bilateral internal carotid occlusion, Basal ganglia diseases Brain abscess, Brain damage, Brain edema, Brain infection, Brain tumor, Brainstem hemorrhage, Brain stem infarction, Central pontine myelinolysis, Cerebral hypoxia, Cerebral infarction, Cerebral malariaCerebral oedema, Cerebral vasculitis, Cerebrovascular accident, Chest infection, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Decompression sickness, Delayed sleep phase syndrome, Dementia, Dialysis encephalopathy , Encephalitis, Encephalopathy, Epidural abscess, Epidural haemorrhage, Epidural hematoma, Epileptic seizures, Extradural hematoma, Fat emboli, Fits, Fungal meningitis, Gangrene , Head injury, Hepatic encephalopathy, Hydrocephalus, Hyperbaric sickness, Hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic coma, Hypertensive encephalopathy, Intracerebral hemorrhage, Intracranial granuloma, Intracranial space-occupying lesion, Korsakoff's Syndrome, Leukoencephalopathy, Lewy body dementia, Lyme disease Malaria Massive or bilateral supratentorial infarction, Meningitis, Meningoencephalitis, Multifocal leukoencephalopathy, Multiple sclerosis, Neurocysticercosis, Neurosyphilis, Nonconvulsive status epilepticus, Pain, Panayiotopoulos syndrome, Pick's disease , Plague , Pontine hemorrhage , Postictal state, Postinfectious encephalomyelitis, Pyelonephritis, acute, Rabies , Raised intracranial pressure, Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, Reye's syndrome, Sagittal sinus thrombosis, Seizure, SepsisSleeping sickness (East African), Sleeping sickness (West African), Stroke, Subarachnoid haemorrhage, Subdural empyema, Subdural haemorrhageSurgical wound infection Systemic infection, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, Typhoid fever, Urinary tract infection Vancomycin resistant enterococcal bacteremia, Venous sinus thrombosis, Viral hemorrhagic fever
Nutritional/Metabolic	Acute intermittent porphyria, adrenal leukodystrophy, citrullinemia type 2, Cope's syndrome, coproporphyria,hereditary, folate deficiency, hyperammonemia, hypercalcaemia, hyperglycemia, hypermagnesemia, hypernatremia, hypocalcaemia, hypoglycaemia, hypokalaemia, hypomagnesemia, hyponatraemia, Korsakoff's Syndrome, lipid storage disorder, niacin deficiencies, niacin deficiency, pellagra,porphobilinogen synthase deficiency, starvation, thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, Wilson's disease
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Eclampsia, hyperoestrogenic states, preeclampsia
Oncologic	No underlying causes
Ophthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose/Toxicity	No underlying causes
Psychiatric	Advanced sleep phase disorder, anxiety state, bipolar disorder, brief psychotic disorder, catatonia, chronic fatigue syndrome, delayed sleep phase syndrome, dementia, depression, drug abuse, hysteria, Korsakoff's Syndrome, Lewy body dementia,mental health, narcolepsy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, postoperative stress, psychiatric disorders, schizoaffective disorder,schizophrenia, suicide
Pulmonary	Respiratory failure, Hypoxemia, Hypercarbia
Renal/Electrolyte	Electrolyte disturbance, hypercalcaemia, hypermagnesemia, hypernatremia, hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcaemia, hypoglycaemia, hypokalaemia, hypomagnesemia, hyponatraemia, Hyperosmolar states, Hypoosmolar states, hypophosphatemia , interstitial nephritis, kidney failure, lactic acidosis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, acute, renal failure, acute, renal failure, chronic, respiratory acidosis, uremia, dehydration
Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy	Vasculitis
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	Trauma, Skull fracture, Head injury
Urologic	Urinary Track Infection
Miscellaneous	Coproporphyria, Burns, Chronic fatigue syndrome

Causes in Alphabetical Order

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