Q: how common is bovine spongiform encephalopathy?

< 1 per million cows: There are ~42 million head of cattle in the usa, and the best estimate is that there are between 4 and 7 infected animals.

Q: what exactly is acute disseminated encephalopathy?

ADEM: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is a rare autoimmune disease affecting the brain &amp; spinal cord, damaging the myelin &amp; destroying the white matter. Symptoms are similar to Multiple sclerosis. It usually follows viral infection or vaccination. Symptoms start with fever, headaches, drowsiness, seizures.

Q: if i develop encephalopathy, how will it be treated?

Treat cause: Encephalopathy is a non specific term that refers to brain impairment or delirium. It is caused by a number of things ranging from drug intoxication, to failure of other organs like kidney failure, to brain disorders like tumors, or infections. Treatment varies depending on the cause and is directed at correcting the underlying problem.

Q: i know this dude who has encephalopathy. what is that?

Brain dysfunction: Encephalopathy is a general term that refers to any disturbance in brain function such as level of conciousness, attention, or orientation to time, place or person. It is often used to describe a patient who is disoriented, confused, drowsy, or agitated. This may be due to process in the brain (e.g. Stroke, tumor, hemorrhage, infection, etc) or outside the brain (e.g. Liver or renal disease, etc).

Q: what is the definition or description of: encephalopathy?

Altered mental state: Encephalopathy is a generalized description of an altered mental state that is caused by a medical condition. This is seen as confusion, agitation, lethargy, and/or sever somnolence. It can be caused by severe illnesses such as meningitis or other primary brain pathology. It may be seen is systemic illnesses such as sepsis. It is commonly seen in patients with cirrhosis (hepatic encephalopathy).

Q: is wernicke encephalopathy a disability?

Disability?: Yes, it can become a disability if not treated quickly. However, rapid diagnosis and treatment can lead to full recovery -- supposing the person is also able to maintain healthy intake of nutrients after the crisis. (and not go on drinking alcohol, if that's what precipitated the problem to begin with).

Question 1

is encephalopathy common with sepsis?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Toxic metabolic encephalopathy can appear in up to 50% of ICU patients (from either drugs or the disease itself), although most studies cite a more reasonable 20-30%.  Depends on the infection and how ill/old the patient is.

Question 2

what are the symptoms common to encephalopathy?

Accepted Answer

Any brain symptoms: Encephalopathy is a nonspecific term used for any brain disease.  The term is usually preceded by adjectives that provide the specific information (e.g., hypoxic-ischemic, nutritional, etc).  Confusion is probably the most common symptom that would be observed in many types of encephalopathies.

Question 3

is static encephalopathy a common disease?

Accepted Answer

Not a disease: Encephalopathy is term to describe diffuse brain dysfunction of any etiology, and indeed is found quite frequently.  The goal is to uncover cause, as treatment then becomes viable.

Question 4

what are the common presenting symptoms of wernicke encephalopathy?

Accepted Answer

Wernicke's: Wernicke's encephalopathy is a serious neurologic disorder related to thiamine deficiency, and seen frequently in chronic alcoholics.  The presenting triad of symptoms is confusion, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia (inability to move the eyes).  In advanced cases you might also see memory loss and confabulation -- the person fills in what isn't recalled, with stories that could sound okay, but aren't.

Question 5

how common is  bovine spongiform encephalopathy?

Accepted Answer

< 1 per million cows: There are ~42 million head of cattle in the usa, and the best estimate is that there are between 4 and 7 infected animals.

Question 6

what exactly is acute disseminated encephalopathy?

Accepted Answer

ADEM: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is a rare autoimmune disease affecting the brain &amp; spinal cord, damaging the myelin &amp; destroying the white matter. Symptoms are similar to Multiple sclerosis. It usually follows viral infection or vaccination. Symptoms start with fever, headaches, drowsiness, seizures.

Question 7

if i develop encephalopathy, how will it be treated?

Accepted Answer

Treat cause: Encephalopathy is a non specific term that refers to brain impairment or delirium. It is caused by a number of things ranging from drug intoxication, to failure of other organs like kidney failure, to brain disorders like tumors, or infections. Treatment varies depending on the cause and is directed at correcting the underlying problem.

Question 8

i know this dude who has encephalopathy. what is that?

Accepted Answer

Brain dysfunction: Encephalopathy is a general term that refers to any disturbance in brain function such as level of conciousness, attention, or orientation to time, place or person. It is often used to describe a patient who is disoriented, confused, drowsy, or agitated. This may be due to  process in the brain (e.g. Stroke, tumor, hemorrhage, infection, etc) or outside the brain (e.g. Liver or renal disease, etc).

Question 9

what is the definition or description of: encephalopathy?

Accepted Answer

Altered mental state: Encephalopathy is a generalized description of an altered mental state that is caused by a medical condition. This is seen as confusion, agitation, lethargy, and/or sever somnolence. It can be caused by severe illnesses such as meningitis or other primary brain pathology. It may be seen is systemic illnesses such as sepsis. It is commonly seen in patients with cirrhosis (hepatic encephalopathy).

Question 10

is wernicke encephalopathy a disability?

Accepted Answer

Disability?: Yes, it can become a disability if not treated quickly.  However, rapid diagnosis and treatment can lead to full recovery -- supposing the person is also able to maintain healthy intake of nutrients after the crisis.  (and not go on drinking alcohol, if that's what precipitated the problem to begin with).

Get Virtual Care

For Businesses

About Us

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Doctor answers about:

Is encephalopathy common with sepsis

A member asked:

Is encephalopathy common with sepsis?

A member asked:

What are the symptoms common to encephalopathy?

A member asked:

Is static encephalopathy a common disease?

A member asked:

What are the common presenting symptoms of wernicke encephalopathy?

A member asked:

How common is bovine spongiform encephalopathy?

A member asked:

What exactly is acute disseminated encephalopathy?

A member asked:

If i develop encephalopathy, how will it be treated?

A member asked:

I know this dude who has encephalopathy. what is that?

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: encephalopathy?

A member asked:

Is wernicke encephalopathy a disability?

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Telemedicine

Primary Care

Manage Your Conditions

Women's Health

Children's Health

Men's Health

Senior Health

Wellness, Prevention & Lifestyle

Sexual Health

Mental & Behavioral Health

Travel Medicine

Urgent Care

Didn't find what you're looking for?

More of what we treat

Allergies

Antibiotics

Asthma

High Blood Pressure

Prescriptions

Type 2 Diabetes

For Businesses

Company

Health Content

Join Us

Download HealthTap

Questions?