Template:AMS DDX

Altered mental status

Diffuse brain dysfunction

• Encephalopathy
• Hypoxic encephalopathy
• Acute toxic-metabolic encephalopathy (Delirium)
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Hyperosmolar state (e.g., hyperglycemia)
  • Electrolyte Abnormalities (hypernatremia or hyponatremia, hypercalcemia)
  • Organ system failure
  • Hepatic Encephalopathy
  • Uremia/Renal Failure
  • Endocrine (Addison's disease, hypothyroidism)
  • Hypoxia
  • CO2 narcosis
• Hypertensive Encephalopathy
• Toxins
• Drug reactions (NMS, Serotonin Syndrome)
• Environmental causes
  • Hypothermia
  • Hyperthermia
• Deficiency state
  • Wernicke encephalopathy
• Sepsis

Primary CNS disease or trauma

• Direct CNS trauma
  • Diffuse axonal injury
  • Subdural/epidural hematoma
• Vascular disease
  • Intraparenchymal hemorrhage
• SAH
• Infarction
  • Hemispheric, brainstem
• CNS infections
  • Encephalitis
  • Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis
• Neoplasms
• Seizures
  • Nonconvulsive status epilepticus
  • Postictal state

Psychiatric

• Acute psychosis
• Excited delirium
• Malingering