Biography
Biography: Stephen sinelson
Abstract
Encephalopathy (altered mental status) is a common presenting complaint in children. The differential is broad, but includes a variety of infectious causes, such as: infectious or post-infectious; immune; drug induced; post-ictal. The work-up of children with encephalopathy requires a thorough and thoughtful approach, since some cases have available treatments where outcome is impacted by timeliness of diagnosis. The use of diagnostic tests such as neuroimaging (CT, MRI), lumbar puncture and EEG will be discussed, as well as the various laboratory testing that can help to clarify the diagnosis. Given that the initial presentation may be similar in cases with vastly different etiologies, it is important to keep a broad differential diagnosis, and ensure that testing includes all possible etiologies. Additionally, the treatments should initially include coverage for life-threatening conditions, and then be tailored to the most likely diagnosis as more information becomes available. Real patient cases will be presented to illustrate the above points.