Diagnosis and Treatment of Altered Mental Status

Altered mental status is commonly encountered in the neurological intensive care unit, and the differential diagnosis is broad. The general and neurological examinations can give many clues both to the neurological and non-neurological causes. Neuroimaging, neurophysiological tests, and laboratory studies are often helpful in identifying the etiology, which can run the entire gamut of disease processes including vascular, neoplastic, metabolic, or infectious. In cases of brain death, it is essential to understand the diagnostic criteria as well as adjunctive studies.