HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

What Casues Black Outs And Seizures?

I have a friend who has syncope ? He always passes out but he blacks out & has seizures. Friday he passed out & hit his head, he woke up & passed out again, hitting his head & he was taken to the hospital where they said he had a concussion. He hasn't woken up since Friday & the doctors aren't really doing anything. Why isn't he waking up? Is there something they can do?
Tue, 16 Dec 2014
Report Abuse
Neurologist 's  Response
I read your query and I am sorry for your friend.

There are two possibilities. The first one is that hitting the head he has had traumatic brain injury. Concussion is one type of traumatic brain injury, but if he hasn't regained consciousness at all it must be more serious. To judge the degree and the need for any surgical intervention of course he has to have at least a CT scan, which you don't mention. If he has done it perhaps the damage is not of the sort which benefits from surgery, in that case treatment is only with drugs trying to prevent brain swelling, if that is the case it's not your doctors fault, that's all that can be done, improvement will need its time depending on the severity of damage. It depends on results of CT scan though, so I can't be more precise.
Second possibility is his being in an epileptic status, meaning uninterrupted seizures, in that case treatment is with anti-epileptics and airway protection, at times can be a medication induced coma to stop the seizures and the brain swelling. If he has seizure activity it's easy to identify, but if no seizure activity and CT doesn't explain his non-waking up then a non-convulsive epileptic status needs to be considered which needs an EEG to confirm.
Anyway, I hope I'm not confusing you even more, I know it's too many hypotheses, but as I said to be more precise at least the CT scan is needed.

I hope things will go for the best.
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Loading Online Doctors....
What Casues Black Outs And Seizures?

I read your query and I am sorry for your friend. There are two possibilities. The first one is that hitting the head he has had traumatic brain injury. Concussion is one type of traumatic brain injury, but if he hasn t regained consciousness at all it must be more serious. To judge the degree and the need for any surgical intervention of course he has to have at least a CT scan, which you don t mention. If he has done it perhaps the damage is not of the sort which benefits from surgery, in that case treatment is only with drugs trying to prevent brain swelling, if that is the case it s not your doctors fault, that s all that can be done, improvement will need its time depending on the severity of damage. It depends on results of CT scan though, so I can t be more precise. Second possibility is his being in an epileptic status, meaning uninterrupted seizures, in that case treatment is with anti-epileptics and airway protection, at times can be a medication induced coma to stop the seizures and the brain swelling. If he has seizure activity it s easy to identify, but if no seizure activity and CT doesn t explain his non-waking up then a non-convulsive epileptic status needs to be considered which needs an EEG to confirm. Anyway, I hope I m not confusing you even more, I know it s too many hypotheses, but as I said to be more precise at least the CT scan is needed. I hope things will go for the best.