Table of Contents
What causes an elderly person to become unresponsive?
Common causes of temporary unconsciousness include: low blood sugar. low blood pressure. syncope, or the loss of consciousness due to lack of blood flow to the brain.
What is an unresponsive episode?
Overview. Fainting, or passing out, is referred to medically as a syncopal episode, or syncope. Syncopal episodes are typically triggered by a sudden, temporary drop in blood flow to the brain, which leads to loss of consciousness and muscle control.
Why is a patient unresponsive?
Sudden unresponsiveness may be due to a central nervous system infection in which subtle changes of consciousness may have been apparent over the course of hours to days. Bacterial meningitis is characterized by fever, stiff neck and change in mental status.
What is transient unresponsiveness?
This term means that there was a brief (transient) episode of losing normal awareness or behavior. It is a description of the event, not a diagnosis. This kind of episode can have many different causes: epileptic seizures, fainting (syncope), or one of a large number of physical problems.
What can cause sudden unresponsiveness?
Common causes of temporary unconsciousness include:
- low blood sugar.
- low blood pressure.
- syncope, or the loss of consciousness due to lack of blood flow to the brain.
- neurologic syncope, or the loss of consciousness caused by a seizure, stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- dehydration.
- problems with the hearts rhythm.
What does it mean when an elderly person is unresponsive?
When a person is unresponsive, their muscles relax and their tongue can block their airway so they can no longer breathe. Tilting their head back opens the airway by pulling the tongue forward. If they are breathing, you will see their chest moving and you may hear their breath or feel it on your cheek.
What does it mean when a patient is unresponsive?
Medically speaking, when a person is called unresponsive, it means theyre at least unconscious, and possibly dead or dying. Definitions of unresponsive. adjective. not responding to some influence or stimulus. Synonyms: refractory.
What is the difference between unconscious and unresponsive?
If a person is not breathing, it may be necessary to perform CPR. Unconsciousness is an unresponsive state. A person who is unconscious may seem like they are sleeping but may not respond to things like loud noises, being touched, or being shaken.
What does it mean when patient is unresponsive?
When a person is unresponsive, their muscles relax and their tongue can block their airway so they can no longer breathe. Tilting their head back opens the airway by pulling the tongue forward. If they are not breathing, their chest and stomach will not be moving and you will not hear or feel their breaths.
What can cause unresponsiveness?
low blood sugar. low blood pressure.Common causes of unconsciousness include:
- a car accident.
- severe blood loss.
- a blow to the chest or head.
- a drug overdose.
- alcohol poisoning.
What does an absence seizure look like?
Absence seizures involve brief, sudden lapses of consciousness. Theyre more common in children than in adults. Someone having an absence seizure may look like he or she is staring blankly into space for a few seconds. Then, there is a quick return to a normal level of alertness.
What causes absence seizure?
What causes absence seizures? Like other kinds of seizures, absence seizures are caused by abnormal activity in a persons brain. Doctors often dont know why this happens. Most absence seizures are less than 15 seconds long.
What causes a patient to be unresponsive?
Common causes of temporary unconsciousness include: low blood sugar. low blood pressure. syncope, or the loss of consciousness due to lack of blood flow to the brain.
Can someone recover from being unresponsive?
Medically speaking, when a person is called unresponsive, it means theyre at least unconscious, and possibly dead or dying. Definitions of unresponsive. adjective. not responding to some influence or stimulus. Synonyms: refractory.
What to do if a patient is unresponsive?
People in an unaware and unresponsive state can transition to a minimally conscious state. Some will gradually regain consciousness. Some will go on to lose all brain function. Theres no way to accurately predict who will recover.