The following is a summary of ‘’State-of-the-Art Evaluation of Acute Adult Disorders of Consciousness for the General Intensivist,” published in the July 2023 issue of Critical Care by Chang et al.

Researchers performed a retrospective study to review disorders of consciousness (DoC) diagnosis and initial management for intensivists. English articles on acute DoC diagnostic evaluation and initial management in adult patients were searched in PubMed and OVID Medline. Descriptive and interventional studies on acute DoC evaluation, management, transfer, and outcome were included. 

The manuscript’s relevant aspects, including setting, study population, aims, methods, results, Acute adult DoC categorized into five etiologies: structural, functional, infectious, inflammatory, and pharmacologic. Understanding DoC’s etiology drives diagnostic investigation, monitoring, acute therapy, and subsequent specialist care decisions, including team-based local care and intra- and inter-facility transfer. and implications for adult critical care practice were reviewed, abstracted, and analyzed. 

The study found that general intensivists can effectively manage acute DoC through a team-based approach. Transfers may be required for specific conditions or due to resource limitations. and collaborative research on acute DoC, enhancing our understanding and improving treatment options.

Source: journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/Fulltext/2023/07000/State_of_the_Art_Evaluation_of_Acute_Adult.10.aspx