Non-traumatic coma in children.

Many acutely ill children are not fully conscious. Most make a full neurological recovery as the underlying cause is treated, but considerable skill is required to distinguish the group at high risk of further deterioration, potentially leading either to death or to severe handicap. This article is an attempt to guide the worried paediatrician in casualty or on the ward faced with a child in non-traumatic coma who may need intensive care. The most eVective method of deciding the order of priorities in this emergency situation is to ask oneself a series of questions.