Encephalopathy (cont.)
What are the complications of encephalopathy?
Complications of encephalopathy vary from none to profound mental impairments
that lead to death. The complications can be similar in some cases. Also, many
investigators consider encephalopathy to be a complication that arises from a
primary health problem or primary diagnosis.
Complications depend on the primary cause of encephalopathy and can be
illustrated by citing a few examples from the wide variety of causes:
- Hepatic (liver) encephalopathy (brain swelling with
herniation, coma,
death)
- Metabolic encephalopathy (irritability, lethargy,
depression, tremors;
occasionally coma or death )
- Anoxic encephalopathy (wide range of complications, from none in short-term
anoxia to personality changes, severe brain damage to death in long- term anoxic
events)
- Uremic encephalopathy (lethargy, hallucinations, stupor, muscle twitching,
seizures, death)
- Hashimoto's encephalopathy (confusion, heat intolerance, dementia)
- Wernicke's encephalopathy (mental confusion, memory loss, decreased ability
to move eyes)
- Bovine spongiform encephalopathy or "Mad Cow disease" (ataxia, dementia and
myoclonus or muscle twitching without any rhythm or pattern)
- Shigella encephalopathy
(headache, stiff neck,
delirium, seizures, coma)
- Infectious causes of pediatric encephalopathy (irritability, poor feeding,
hypotonia or
floppy baby syndrome, seizures, death)
The best way to understand potential complications is to discuss these with
the diagnosing doctor who can discuss the possible problems associated with the
specific cause(s) of the type of encephalopathy.
Next: What is the prognosis (outlook) for encephalopathy? »
- Liver Blood Tests - Learn about liver blood tests used to detect liver damage disease such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, hepatitis, Tylenol liver damage, and more. This includes measuring the aminotransferases enzymes (AST and ALT levels)
- Low Blood Pressure - Learn about low blood pressure (hypotension). Low blood pressure is blood pressure below normal and symptoms may include: lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting upon standing (orthostatic hypotension). There are many causes of low blood pressure, and treatment is dependant upon the cause.
- Creatinine Blood Test - Learn more about the creatinine blood test, a test that measures kidney function. Abnormal creatinine levels in the blood may indicate kidney disease.
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