Unresponsive: A Case of Hyperglycemia and Altered Mental Status

Abstract

Altered mental status is an emergency that significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality in children, and thus, requires rapid and thorough evaluation. Identification of the underlying cause of altered mental status is crucial for appropriate clinical management. With a presentation of hyperglycemia and a family history of diabetes mellitus type 2, an astute physician would consider metabolic encephalopathy as the cause of altered mental status. We describe a critical case of altered mental status in a 14-year-old obese male adolescent with no history of chronic illness or surgeries who presented to the emergency department with hyperglycemia.