"The differential diagnosis of altered mental status is huge and can be overwhelming in the face of an acutely ill, undifferentiated emergency department patient. I try to sort through diagnoses based on how quickly they could kill the patient and how quickly I can treat them."
- What could kill my patient immediately
- What could kill my patient in the next few minutes?
- What could kill my patient in the next 10 minutes?
- What could kill my patient over the next few hours?