Coma-Aversano Flashcards
What is a coma?
- The state in which the patient cannot be aroused to make purposeful responses
- No response to painful stimuli
What is consciousness?
Awareness of one’s self and the environment
What can cause a coma?
- Bilateral diffuse cerebral hemisphere dysfunction
OR - Brainstem involvement of the ascending reticular activating system
OR - Both!
What are the majority of comas due to?
- Metabolic and other diffuse disorders affecting the entire brain (w/o focal findings).
• Metabolic encephalopathy can cause profound coma w/ preserved pupillary responses
• Gradual onset of coma is consistent w/ metabolic process
What are the categories of diagnoses in patients admitted to hospital w/coma of unknown etiology?
- Metabolic and other diffuse disorders (65%)
- Supratentorial mass lesions (20%)
- Subtentorial lesions (13%)
- Psychiatric disorders (2%)
What does Cheyne Stokes Respiration (crescendo, decrescendo breathing) indicate?
Disorder in hemisphere (above brainstem)
What is cluster breathing?
- Ataxic breathing
- Random/irregular
What is apneustic breathing?
Less deep breathing
What should you assume about pupillary response?
All asymmetry is abnormal
What do pinpoint pupils indicate?
Pontine lesion
What do blown pupils indicate?
Tentorial herniation pinching CN III
What do midsize unreactive pupils indicate?
Damage to midbrain
Where is the dysfunction is there is an absence of Doll’s Eyes (eyes move normally/in direction head moves)?
Brainstem
If caloric testing is abnormal, where is the problem?
Brainstem
What is the corneal reflex testing?
- Afferent arch = CN V
- Efferent arc = bilateral blink = CN 7
