In neurology, we get a lot of consults on mental status changes. Once the metabolic stuff has checked out, the patient is checked for infections and toxins, they call in the neuro team to see if maybe the patient has something going on with their brain to explain why they are still 'out of it.' On Friday our team saw two patients with altered mental status. Both had loved ones watching over them, and in both situations, the patient could not completely remember who their loved one was. Like in that Nicholas Sparks novel about the lady with Alzheimer's, except this was such an abrupt change in the patients. Just a few days prior they could recognize their spouse, their daughter, and now, they were lost. I know people can muster courage in these situations, but they must be experiencing the worst kind of sadness and loneliness to suffer such an abrupt abandonment. These patients certainly made me sad.
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