Unresponsiveness: Causes & Reasons

Possible Causes for Unresponsiveness

[…] syndrome (UWS) or coma. 89 patients were identified from a prospective CA database. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

HYPOTHESIS: Bedside and remote assessments of patients with decreased LOC, using either the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) or Full scale Of UnResponsiveness (FOUR), score are equivalent [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness and the use of Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) score by nurses in the follow-up and evaluation of patients [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Postictal State

For generalized tonic-clonic seizures, where the entire brain is eventually involved, the postictal state can consist of complete unresponsiveness with gradual recovery associated [sharecare.com]

When you arrive, the patient is on the floor of the dorm, unresponsive and twitching. What do you do? [jailmedicine.com]

[…] without moving) Impaire d consciousness Automatisms (e.g., fumbling, lip smacking, chewing, swallowing) Confusion Anterograde amnesia Aphasia Fatigue, possibly short phase of coma [amboss.com]

Brain Death

[…] state of coma in which the cause has been identified. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

A 40-year-old woman was found unresponsive by her family. Baclofen was found to be the responsible overdose. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Clinical signs of brain death are amongst others: Coma Unresponsive pupils Absence of spontaneous breathing during the apnea test Lack of brain stem reflexes (e.g. cough reflex [flexikon.doccheck.com]

Diabetic Coma

If it’s not treated and gets worse, the person can gradually become unresponsive (going into a diabetic coma). [sja.org.uk]

The patient may be unresponsive or unconscious. A patient suffering from diabetic coma may appear to have the flu (influenza) or a severe cold. [firehouse.com]

If they lose responsiveness at any point, open their airway, check their breathing and prepare to treat someone who’s become unresponsive. [sja.org.uk]

Beta Blocker Poisoning

Reserve cardiac pacing for patients unresponsive to pharmacologic therapy or for those with torsade de pointes unresponsive to magnesium. [emedicine.medscape.com]

Coma may be prolonged, depending on the half-life of the agent involved and the coexisting morbidity. [calsprogram.org]

[…] with fluids initially Add adrenaline infusion if not responding to fluids Atropine aliquots can also be considered for bradycardia Pacing may be necessary if bradycardia is unresponsive [emergpa.net]

Methylmalonic Acidemia

[…] including lethargy, failure to thrive, recurrent vomiting, dehydration, respiratory distress, muscular hypotonia, hepatomegaly and coma. [orpha.net]

The mechanism of nephrotoxicity in vitamin B12-unresponsive MMA is not yet known. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

The biochemical and therapeutic responses to dietary therapy were studied in a 25-month-old girl and a 1-month-old girl with methylmalonic acidemia (MMA-emia), which was unresponsive [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Conversion Disorder

She was first evaluated for causes of her stridor and unresponsiveness. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Upon admission to the hospital, he developed syncopal-like episodes of unresponsiveness associated with body-wide jerking and stiffening as well as tachycardia and hypertension [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

[…] resembling fainting or coma Material summarized from: American Psychiatric Association (2013). [mentalhelp.net]

Metabolic Encephalopathy

When to Seek Medical Attention Any person who displays altered mental function, unexplained confusion, seizure, weakness, or unresponsiveness should receive medical attention [healthcare-online.org]

Hypotension, unresponsive to volume expansion, points to intoxication with barbiturates or opiates, myxedema, or Addisonian crisis. [aneskey.com]

coma. [dartmouth.edu]

Brain Stem Herniation

Since I thought someone in a coma would be totally unresponsive and immobile.) A Medical Mystery I was a mystery to doctors and therapists. [thequadspot.com]

[…] unreactive pupils Absent doll's eye Weak decerebrate Medulla Coma Apnoea Absent brainstem reflexes Unresponsive, flaccid Tonsillar heniation This is the consequence of a [derangedphysiology.com]

On physical exam, there is weakness 2/5 strength throughout the right-side, and a left pupil that is unresponsive to light. [medbullets.com]

Myxedema Coma

Granger said that when he arrived home from work and found his wife unresponsive, he called 911. [journals.lww.com]

Unresponsiveness or lethargy that results from severe or neglected hypothyroidism. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]

She's unresponsive to verbal and noxious stimuli. Mr. Granger says that for the past few days his wife complained of weakness, fatigue, and feeling cold. [journals.lww.com]

Myxedema

Granger said that when he arrived home from work and found his wife unresponsive, he called 911. [journals.lww.com]

Retrieved April 09th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/myxedema Sentences Sentence examples Sentence Examples Myxedema coma can cause unresponsiveness; irregular, [yourdictionary.com]

Symptoms and signs of myxedema coma include: Below normal temperature Decreased breathing Low blood pressure Low blood sugar Unresponsiveness Inappropriate or uncharacteristic [nlm.nih.gov]

Meningitis

[…] bright lights being very sleepy or difficult to wake fits (seizures) Babies may also: refuse feeds be irritable have a high-pitched cry have a stiff body or be floppy or unresponsive [nhs.uk]

[…] above being sick a headache a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but this will not always develop) a stiff neck a dislike of bright lights drowsiness or unresponsiveness [nhs.uk]

[…] hands and feet (Image: meningitisnow.org) Refusing food and vomiting (Image: meningitisnow.org) Fretful, dislike being handled (Image: meningitisnow.org) Drowsy, floppy, unresponsive [dublinlive.ie]

Syncope

[…] head Administer aromatic ammonia inhalant Reevaluate vital signs If patient’s condition deteriorates Activate EMS Monitor vital signs If at any time the patient becomes unresponsive [dentalcare.com]

You become unresponsive, lose muscle tone and may fall. Its occurrence is fairly common and increases with age. [luriechildrens.org]

[…] called angioneurotic edema) Allergy testing A low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia) Fainting after a period of other symptoms, including confusion, shakiness, and sweating Unresponsiveness [merckmanuals.com]

Benzodiazepine Overdose

BACKGROUND: Severe benzodiazepine overdose can result in coma and respiratory depression that might cause brain hypoxia, necrosis and delayed post-anoxic leucoencephalopathy [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Hallucinations Hypotension (lowered blood pressure) Coma Death Benzodiazepine medications like Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin enhance the effects of alcohol, and vice versa, [americanaddictioncenters.org]

Although rare, this may result in hypotension, cardiac dysrhythmias, lactic acidosis, seizures, or coma. [emedicine.medscape.com]

Nicotine Poisoning

Severe symptoms (e.g. limb jerking and unresponsiveness) were only seen with the larger amounts. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

If someone is unresponsive, not breathing, or choking, call 911. [aapcc.org]

Brain Stem Hemorrhage

[…] hemorrhages, especially at the level of the Superior Colliculi is rare in itself but can lead to obstructive hydrocephalus and can be discovered after the patient is found unresponsive [neurology.org]

If the bleeding is in the lower brain (brainstem), where most of the automatic body functions are regulated, a patient may become unresponsive or go into a coma. [medicinenet.com]

An acute neurologic examination found that Collard was unresponsive to a variety of physical and verbal stimuli. [massgeneral.org]

Encephalitis

Clinicians should be wary of this condition, especially when assessing patients with recent onset of psychiatric symptoms unresponsive to antipsychotic treatment. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

[…] and cognitive decline Stage II Myoclonic jerks, seizures and dementia Stage III Rigidity, extra-pyramidal symptoms, progressive unresponsiveness Stage IV Coma, vegetative [doi.org]

The prognosis of HSE is better in younger patients, and those having a disease duration of four days or less and a Glasgow coma score of 6 or less at the time of acyclovir [doi.org]

Reye Syndrome

We report the case of a 17-month-old white girl whose 1-day history of vomiting and agitation followed by generalized unresponsiveness caused her to be brought to a local [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

If the patient is in grade 3 coma (see below), mechanical ventilation may be necessary. Coma can be scored using the Glasgow coma scale. [web.archive.org]

Then he may become confused or even become unresponsive. If the disease progresses, there is a strong chance he will have seizures and go into a deep coma. [healthychildren.org]

Isopropyl Alcohol Poisoning

The person can become extremely confused, unresponsive, disoriented, have shallow breathing, and can even pass out or go into a coma. [medicalnewstoday.com]

[…] loss of consciousness In advanced stages of poisoning, an affected person may go into a coma. [promises.com]

This is when a person becomes disoriented, unresponsive, extremely confused, shallow breathing, and can perhaps pass out or go into a coma. [searidgealcoholrehab.com]

Liver Cirrhosis

Early signs of toxin accumulation in the brain ( Hepatic Encephalopathy ) may include neglect of personal appearance, unresponsiveness, forgetfulness, concentration problems [liver.ca]

With time, hepatic encephalopathy can progress to unresponsiveness or coma. Jaundice. [mayoclinic.org]

Tolerance is defined as a state of donor-specific unresponsiveness without a need for ongoing immunosuppression. Another alternative is bio-integration. [eureka.criver.com]

Hypoglycemic Encephalopathy

Methods/Design: A single case report Results: 59 y/o AAF with history of diabetes and hypertension was found unresponsive with GCS of 3, and blood glucose of 49. [neurology.org]

He was alert as usual, just 1 hour before being found in unresponsive status. On arrival at emergency department, vital signs were stable. [i-mri.org]

coma. [dartmouth.edu]

Schizophrenia

Using this rating, we assessed all trials of atypicals in schizophrenia unresponsive to at least one drug. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

We report a case of premenstrual mood changes in a patient with schizophrenia who was unresponsive to conventional treatment but successfully managed with dienogest. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

While many antipsychotics have been demonstrated as effective in the treatment of schizophrenia, a substantial number of schizophrenia patients are partially or fully unresponsive [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Apallic Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Some patients awaken from coma (that is, open the eyes) but remain unresponsive (that is, only showing reflex movements without response to command). [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Abstract Background Some patients awaken from coma (that is, open the eyes) but remain unresponsive (that is, only showing reflex movements without response to command). [springermedizin.de]

Compared with people in coma, apallic patients very often have their eyes open. It seems they can look around. [wikilectures.eu]

Vegetative State

Abstract Predicting recovery of consciousness in patients who survive their coma but evolve to a vegetative state (recently coined unresponsive wakefulness syndrome) remains [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Abstract One of the worst outcomes of acquired brain injury is the vegetative state, recently renamed 'unresponsive wakefulness syndrome' (VS/UWS). [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

The Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) could replace the VS/AS nomenclature in science and public with social competence. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Metabolic Alkalosis

‡ May be either chloride-responsive or chloride-unresponsive. [msdmanuals.com]

Urinary Cl > 20 mmol/L suggests a Cl − unresponsive form. Urinary K and presence or absence of hypertension help differentiate Cl − unresponsive alkaloses. [pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk]

Patients with chloride-unresponsive metabolic alkalosis rarely benefit from rehydration alone. [msdmanuals.com]

Drug Overdose

If someone is not breathing or is unresponsive, and they have taken a medicine, seek help straight away. Call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance. [healthdirect.gov.au]

In the most severe cases, alcohol poisoning can lead to coma, brain damage, and death (NHS). [aviaryrecoverycenter.com]

He was found unresponsive in his North Richmond home by a roommate. [loudwire.com]

Acute Alcohol Intoxication

On Nov.9, police and firefighters found Vaibhev Loomba, 20, at the Zeta Psi fraternity on Bancroft Way after responding to reports of an unresponsive male. [dailycal.org]

He was unresponsive, which was attributed to alcohol intoxication. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

[…] respirations of eight or less per minute or lapses in respiration of more than 10 seconds Cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin (person not getting enough oxygen) Unconsciousness Unresponsive [mtholyoke.edu]

Shock

• If they become unresponsive at any point, open their airway, check their breathing, and prepare to treat someone who has become unresponsive. [sja.org.uk]

Dizziness or fainting Weakness Depending on the type of shock the following symptoms may also be observed: Eyes appear to stare Anxiety or agitation Seizures Confusion or unresponsiveness [medicinenet.com]

Hypoglycemia

To report a case that substantiates the presence of hypoglycemia at the time of death of a young man with type 1 diabetes, who was found unresponsive in his undisturbed bed [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Hypoglycemia was diagnosed based on a blood glucose level of 2.1 mmol/L when the patient turned up disoriented unresponsive, unable to understand what was said to him, and [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

On the third hospital day, the patient was found unresponsive with blood glucose of 40 mg/dL. He had no history of glucose dysregulation. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Hypothermia

[…] impairment: “Mumbles, grumbles, stumbles, fumbles, tumbles” Paradoxical undressing, Decreased responsiveness, Hyporeflexia, Dilated and sluggish pupils, Dysarthria ataxia Coma [cdemcurriculum.com]

A 41-year-old African-American man with a past medical history significant for hypertension, asthma, and anemia, presented to the Emergency Department after being found unresponsive [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

As severe hypothermia progresses, the person becomes unresponsive and the heart rate slows, eventually resulting in death. [tetoncountysar.org]