Possible causes of Confusion
45 conditions can cause this symptom. Most common are listed first.
- Alcohol (ethanol) overuse Common Urgent
- Alcohol withdrawal syndrome Common Urgent
- Alzheimer's disease Common
- Carbon monoxide poisoning Common Urgent Pediatric
- Dehydration Common Urgent Pediatric
- Dementia (impaired cognitive function) Common
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA, a complication of poorly controlled diabetes) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Drug overdose Common Urgent
- Epidural hematoma (bleeding outside of the brain or spinal cord) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Hyperthyroidism (elevated thyroid hormone) Common
- Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Hyponatremia (low blood sodium) Common Urgent
- Hypotension (low blood pressure) Common Urgent
- Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) Common
- Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in brain) Common Urgent
- Meningitis (brain spine infection) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Respiratory failure (breathing failure) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Seizure (epilepsy) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Sepsis (severe infection) Common Urgent Pediatric
- Subdural hematoma (bleeding on brain) Common Urgent
- Altitude illness Urgent
- Anemia (low red blood cell count)
- Astrocytoma (brain tumor glioma) Urgent Pediatric
- Cerebral aneurysm (brain artery dilation) Urgent
- Cerebral vascular accident (stroke) Urgent
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) Urgent
- Diabetes (elevated blood sugar)
- Environmental exposure (cold, hypothermia) Urgent
- Environmental exposure (hot, hyperthermia) Urgent
- Hepatic encephalopathy (liver failure confusion) Urgent
- Hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) Urgent
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (severely elevated glucose) Urgent
- Lewy body dementia
- Malignant hyperthermia (high temperature) Urgent
- Meningioma (brain tumor)
- Myxedema coma (severe low thyroid) Urgent
- Pseudotumor cerebri (elevated brain pressure) Urgent
- Renal failure, acute (sudden kidney failure) Urgent
- Renal failure, chronic (kidney failure)
- Reyes syndrome Urgent Pediatric
- Septic shock (severe infection low pressure) Urgent
- Shock (severe low blood pressure) Urgent
- Sun poisoning Urgent
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP) Urgent