Abstract
Three stages may be distinguished in states of disturbed consciousness:
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1.
Somnolence: The child is dozing without further participation in his or her environment, but reacts to direct stimuli and answers questions. Phases of clear consciousness may be interspersed. Increase in somnolence is called lethargy.
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2.
Stupor: The child’s consciousness is markedly disturbed. This stage can be interrupted only by strong stimuli and for a limited time. The child can no longer be persuaded to chew but retains food in the mouth.
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3.
Coma: The child is in a state of deep unconsciousness; he or she cannot be aroused even by strong stimuli. Skin, mucosal, tendon, and pharyngeal reflexes are absent. Sphincter control is lost.
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© 1980 Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg
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Ewerbeck, H. (1980). Somnolence, Loss of Consciousness. In: Differential Diagnosis in Pediatrics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6074-5_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6074-5_5
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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