Disorder of consciousness refers to the state wherein the consciousness is affected due to damage in the brain. It is usually caused by trauma, reduced blood or oxygen supply to the brain, and in some cases, poisoning can also cause these injuries.
A person may regain their state of consciousness after a brain injury. Unfortunately, some people don't. The duration of this may range from decreased awareness of surroundings to a persistent vegetative state.
When the brain injury is critical, patients can fall into a coma, but they may emerge into a vegetative or minimally conscious state if they survive.
In this episode, we will talk about the different disorders of consciousness, what happens to the brain when it is injured, and what nurses can do to help their patients in this condition. So if you are ready, join us as we tackle another interesting topic in this latest Cup of Nurses episode with your hosts, Matt and Peter.
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(Timestamps)
00:00 Intro
00:44 Plugs
02:31 Episode Introduction
04:35 What exactly is consciousness?
06:37 What happens to the brain?
11:38 Progression of disorders of consciousness
17:24 What is encephalopathy?
19:58 The mechanism responsible for the disorder
20:37 The Potential Causes of Consciousness Disorder
24:57 FUN FACT: How does DOC severity determined?
25:52 What are the early signs of delirium
28:54 How to prevent and resolve delirium
32:23 Nursing care for comatose patients in the ICU
33:55 Area management
35:10 Wrapping up the episode
