Emergency Neurology

Neurological emergencies, either presenting in the emergency department, arising in hospitalized patients, or presenting in the field are among the most worrisome of all medical situations. Neurologists are trained in best approaches to these emergencies, which include such diverse presentations as severe headache, transient neurologic deficits, altered consciousness and coma, severe vertigo and balance problems, uncontrolled seizures, radicular and facial pain, and posttraumatic conditions. However, as time is often “the enemy” as ER physicians commonly say, diagnostic and treatment dilemmas are particularly challenging in the field of emergency neurology. This volume attempts, as do all the offerings in Oxford University Press’s What Do I Do Now series, to present straightforward but thorough roadmaps for handling the most common and worrisome impasses faced by neurologists and other providers in the topic area. Illustrative cases in cerebrovascular, epileptic, infectious, inflammatory, metabolic, traumatic, neoplastic, and structural conditions are presented with recommendations for best approaches to differential diagnosis, diagnostic testing, and management decision-making in important challenges faced in both adult and pediatric cases. Each case contains a brief summary of key information. The reader is encouraged to imagine the case under discussion, formulate a differential diagnosis, plan diagnostic testing, and begin thinking about best management approaches. Then read Drs. LaHue’s and Levin’s approach to the situation. At the end of each chapter is a list of key points to remember in the topic and a selection of resources for further reading.