OEC CH11: Altered Mental Status

24/06/2025 20 min

Listen "OEC CH11: Altered Mental Status"

Episode Synopsis

This chapter from Outdoor Emergency Care: A Patroller's Guide to Medical Care (6th edition) serves as a comprehensive guide for Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) Technicians on understanding, assessing, and managing altered mental status. It thoroughly defines altered mental status as an abnormal change in awareness or responsiveness and details its various causes, memorably outlined by the AEIOU-TIPS mnemonic (Alcohol/Acidosis, Epilepsy/Environment/Electrolytes, Insulin, Oxygen/Overdose, Uremia, Trauma/Tumors/TIA/Thirst, Infection, Poisoning/Psychiatric, Seizure/Stroke/Syncope/Sleep). The chapter further elaborates on specific conditions like seizures (focal and generalized), diabetic emergencies (hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia), and strokes (ischemic and hemorrhagic), providing signs, symptoms, and immediate management strategies. It also outlines a structured patient assessment process, emphasizing the use of tools like the FAST-ED scale for stroke identification, and stresses the critical importance of rapid transport to a medical facility for definitive care, especially in time-sensitive conditions like stroke.