What it means
Loss of consciousness can be brief, as in faintingFAYN-tingA short loss of consciousness from a brief drop in blood flow to the brain, with a quick return to being awake.Full entry , or last a long time, as in a coma. Causes include head injury, stroke, seizures, low blood sugar, low oxygen, drugs and alcohol, and heart rhythm problems. Nurses describe the level of consciousness with tools such as the Glasgow Coma Scale.
For the nurse
Keep the airway open first: an unconscious person cannot protect it from the tongue or vomit. If the person is breathing and no spinal injury is suspected, turn them onto their side. Check breathing and pulse, and get help.
At a glance
| Spanish | inconsciencia |
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Related terms
seizure
A sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that changes movement, feeling, behavior or awareness.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.
intoxication
A state in which alcohol, a drug or a poison changes how a person thinks, acts or how the body works.
fainting
A short loss of consciousness from a brief drop in blood flow to the brain, with a quick return to being awake.