ER Review: Altered Mental Status (AMS)
Contact Hours: 2
What's included?
Course Overview
Altered Mental Status (AMS) in the Emergency Department (ED) represents a significant diagnostic challenge with a high mortality risk. This condition, often seen as a chief complaint among the elderly, can range from acute brain dysfunctions such as delirium, stupor, or coma to more chronic and severe presentations precipitated by an array of medical illnesses.
The complexity and urgency of AMS necessitate a swift, methodical approach in the ED. This approach begins with primary and secondary surveys aimed at identifying life-threatening reversible causes and is followed by a comprehensive systems-based analysis.
This course emphasizes the importance of a structured, systematic assessment, diagnosis, and treatment approach. It highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of its diverse presentations and underscores the critical need for thorough clinical evaluation.
Through a multi-layered comprehension of AMS and its etiologies, emergency department clinicians can formulate a precise and holistic differential diagnosis.
Course Outline
- Introduction
- Definitions
- Differential Diagnosis
- Assessment
- Primary Survey
- History of Present Illness
- Physical Exam
- Mental Status Testing
- Common Toxidromes
- Pathophysiology
- Clinical Signs and Symptoms
- Management/Treatment
- Laboratory Tests
- Life-Threatening Causes of Altered Mental Status
- Conclusion
Course Outcomes
After completing this course, the learner will rate a 4 out of 5 on the Likert Scale for their ability to:
- Identify the clinical presentation of altered mental status (AMS) in patients presenting to the emergency department
- Recognize the skills required in conducting a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of patients with AMS
- Describe the differential diagnosis for AMS
- Discuss factors influencing the decision-making process regarding the disposition of patients presenting with AMS.
Accreditations and Approvals
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) (P0614)
- California Board of Registered Nursing (CEP 17418)
- Kentucky Board of Nursing (7-0090)
- Louisiana State Board of Nursing (58)
- Florida Board of Nursing (50-23983)
- Delaware Board of Nursing (DE-24-010127)
- Alabama Board of Nursing (#ABNP1577)
- Iowa Board of Nursing (#393)
- Kansas Board of Nursing (LT0340-0325)
Approved by the Board of Nursing in every state, you can complete your RN, LVN, and APRN CEUs with confidence.
Accreditation Statement
Nursing CE Central LLC is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
It will take the average learner 120 minutes to complete and awards 2 contact hours of continuing education.
Written For
- Registered Nurses (RN)
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN)
- Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN/LVN)
Requirements for Completion
- Enrollment in the course by the learner
- Read and learn all course materials
- Complete the course evaluation
- Attest and testify learning of the course materials
Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships
Nursing CE Central nor any of the authors, planners, content experts, or any contributors have any relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
