Confusion is one of the more serious disturbances of consciousness. The patient is not completely unconscious, but his contact with reality is very limited. The causes of confusion may vary, but a patient with confusion should always see a doctor.

Confusion , also known asentanglement syndromeoramentive syndrome , can occur in a human being at any age, however, seniors are one of the groups of patients that are particularly prone to confusion.

Awareness - which in fact is extremely difficult to define - in one definition means the ability to understand the phenomena that take place inside the body and those that occur outside it, in the external environment. We usually don't think about consciousness until one of us develops some kind of consciousness disorder - such as just confusion.

Confusion: causes

It would seem that the confusional syndrome is a problem of a neurological nature, in practice, however, this condition can be caused by diseases in the field mentioned above, but also by many other diseases. The possible causes of entanglement include:

  • infections (mainly involving the nervous system, such as brain abscess or meningitis)
  • metabolic disorders (such as uremia or hypoglycaemia)
  • intoxication (here, as possible causes of confusion, we can mention atropine, but also alcohol intoxication or - especially often the cause of these disturbances of consciousness in young people - with legal highs)
  • brain tumors
  • subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • transient central nervous system ischemia (TIA)
  • stroke
  • circulatory failure and related hypoxia of the brain
  • drug abuse (e.g. excessive use of sleeping pills or opioid painkillers)
  • epileptic seizure
  • shock (of any kind)
  • sudden exacerbations of chronic diseases (e.g. liver failure or hyperthyroidism, confusion can also occur with the worsening of certain psychiatric problems - it sometimes occurs in patients suffering, among others, from bipolar disorder)

Confusion: Symptoms

The entanglement syndrome cannot be overlooked - there are marked changes in human behavior associated with it. The confused patient is not unconscious, but has a significantly altered consciousness. The symptoms of entanglement are:

  • attention disorders
  • memory impairment
  • concentration disorders

The patient in this state experiences disorders of auto- and allopsychic orientation.

Verbal contact with a confused patient cannot be established - often he does not express himself at all, and if he tries to do so, his speech is messy and the answers do not have much in common with the questions asked.

Fluctuations in the patient's activity are also associated with confusion, as the patient may be both aroused and fall into a state not much different from a coma.

With a significant intensification of disorders, psychotic symptoms may appear in the form of delusions or hallucinations. Characteristic of confusion is that after it has resolved, the patient does not remember what happened to him at that time - there is complete amnesia.

Confusion: diagnostics

Confusion itself is not a disease, but actually a symptom of any of the above-mentioned or other disorders - when it occurs, it is always necessary to look for the causes that led to it. It should be emphasized here, however, that a patient in a confused state should absolutely see a doctor - after all, the cause of this problem may even be a life-threatening condition, such as a stroke.

Many different tests can be performed in the search for the causes of the confusional syndrome in a patient. However, before they are ordered, the patient's family is usually first asked for information on whether he or she suffers from any chronic diseases - obtaining such information makes it possible to narrow down the list of necessary tests to be performed in the diagnostic process.

For example, knowing that a patient suffers from diabetes, a blood glucose test can be performed first of all - this allows you to confirm or exclude hypoglycemia as a possible cause of confusion.

Other tests that are important in the diagnosis of confusional state include, first and foremost, imaging tests - computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the head make it possible to identify, among others, subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain tumor or ischemic changes related to stroke.

Confusion: treatment

Accurate diagnosis of confusion is important not only to rule out life-threatening conditionspatient, but also because it is actually possible to implement appropriate therapy for the patient - in the treatment of confusion, one must strive to eliminate its cause.

For example, when it is confirmed that an infection is responsible for the confusion, the patient is given appropriate antimicrobials. In a situation where the confusional state is caused by metabolic disorders (e.g. hypoglycaemia or uremia), their appropriate correction allows the patient to regain full consciousness.

One more aspect should be emphasized here: patients who experience confusion require the initiation of prophylactic interventions, which will reduce the risk of their recurrence.

As an example, we can mention the prevention of atherosclerotic changes in patients who develop transient ischemia of the brain (whether it is dietary modification or - when confirming the existence of atherosclerotic changes in the arteries supplying blood to the brain - taking drugs from the group of statins) .

About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

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Category:

Psychiatry