Confusion, Memory Loss, And Altered Alertness: Emergencies

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Emergencies

• Unconsciousness or inability to respond to touch or voice (unresponsive)
• Sudden decreased level of consciousness lasting longer than 1 minute
• Signs of shock
• Moderate to severe difficulty breathing
• Sudden memory loss, confusion, or decreased alertness with any of the following symptoms:
  • Signs of a stroke
  • Chest pain, particularly if it is crushing or squeezing, that feels like a heavy weight on the chest, or occurs with any other symptoms of a heart attack
  • Heart rate changes and irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia), particularly if your pulse rate is less than 50 beats per minute or more than 150 beats per minute. To check your heart rate, see taking a pulse .
  • Skin changes such as hot, dry, red or flushed skin, even under the armpits.
  • Tiny purple or red spots (petechiae) or small bruises (purpura) on the skin.
  • Fear of dying or a sense of impending doom
• Confusion or decreased alertness after swallowing, breathing, or injecting an illegal drug or any other potentially poisonous substance

Last updated:	February 27, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer