RT Book, Section A1 Pandey, Aditya S. A1 Thompson, B. Gregory A2 Doherty, Gerard M. SR Print(0) ID 1105493384 T1 Neurosurgery T2 CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery, 14e YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071792110 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1105493384 RD 2024/10/04 AB Alterations of consciousness and the related conditions of delirium, acute confusional state, and acute encephalopathy are among the most common mental disorders encountered in either surgical or medical patients. The prevalence of altered mental status in hospitalized patients is high, with reported rates up to 50%. These conditions are associated with increased mortality rates ranging from 10% to 65%, and excess annual health care expenditures in the billions. Given the high incidence of altered mental states, at least a basic understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of common etiologies is warranted for all medical practitioners.