ABSTRACT
The comatose patient is a common medical emergency that is challenging for the doctor. Always review any information available, and comprehensively examine the patient to provide clues to the cause of coma. Assessment should involve a review of the intraoperative history and examination of respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems. After a successful anaesthetic, patients should wake up relatively quickly. The origin of the word monitor is from the Latin ‘monere’ which means ‘to warn’. Post-operative monitoring is essential to provide early warning of deterioration in the patient’s condition. Nurses will usually start a suitable monitoring regime in the recovery room. The mortality from this condition is high, and patients require full intensive care. Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder, often undiagnosed, particularly in the elderly.
