CONSCIOUSNESS

• 1. Alertness

  • Description: Full awareness of surroundings.
  • Characteristics: Individuals can perceive their environment clearly and respond quickly and appropriately to sensory stimuli (visual, auditory, etc.).
• 1. Confusion

  • Description: Disorganized mental state with memory issues.
  • Characteristics: Impaired abilities to remember, think clearly, and reason.
  • Types:
  • Acute Confusion:
  • May occur as a symptom of delirium influenced by fever, drugs, poisons, or injury.
  • May include hallucinations and aggressive behavior.
  • Chronic Confusion:
  • Associated with alcohol dependence, long-term use of antianxiety drugs, and certain progressive mental disorders (e.g., dementia).
• 1. Drowsiness

  • Description: Slower or delayed response to stimuli, but can be aroused.
  • Characteristics: Capable of verbal responses unless affected by aphasia (language disorder), aphonia (loss of voice), or anarthria (complete loss of speech).
• 1. Stupor

  • Description: A state where the individual can only be aroused by intense stimuli.
  • Characteristics: If left undisturbed, the individual will return to an unresponsive state immediately.
• 1. Coma

  • Description: No response to stimuli, indicating severe brain injury.
  • Characteristics: Oxygen consumption is always below normal resting levels.
  • Factors Inducing Coma:
  • Blows to the head causing widespread cerebral or brain stem trauma, leading to irreversible coma (brain death).
  • Tumors or infections invading the brain stem.
  • Metabolic disturbances (e.g., hypoglycemia).
  • Drug overdose.
  • Liver or kidney failure.
  • Massive strokes affecting the brain stem.
• 1. Syncope (Fainting)

  • Description: A brief loss of consciousness.
  • Characteristics: Indicates inadequate cerebral blood flow, often due to low blood pressure resulting from hemorrhage or sudden emotional stress.