Coma


Coma


Coma results from sustained impairment of awareness of self and of the environment. It can simply be defined as a state of unconsciousness or numerically categorised as a GCS score of<8.




History


The history for the comatose patient is usually obtained co-laterally from relatives, friends, witnesses or ambulance crew. Other sources of information are previous hospital notes, records kept by general practitioners and tablets or prescriptions that have been found at the patient’s premises.




Onset


When witnessed, information regarding the speed of onset of coma may help in determining a cause. Sudden onset of unconsciousness is characteristic of a seizure or a vascular event.

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May 18, 2017 | Posted by in GENERAL & FAMILY MEDICINE | Comments Off on Coma

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