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A patient is admitted to the hospital post-traumatic brain injury. He is being examined for his level of consciousness. He can open his eyes, look at the examiner, but his responses are slow and confused. What is his level of arousal?

a. Alertness
b. Lethargy
c. Obtundation
d. Stupor

User Nenu
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Final answer:

The patient with a traumatic brain injury showing slow and confused responses but who can open his eyes and look at the examiner is most likely demonstrating a state called c) obtundation.

Step-by-step explanation:

A patient admitted to the hospital post-traumatic brain injury who can open his eyes, look at the examiner, but has slow and confused responses, is demonstrating signs of obtundation. Obtundation is characterized by a reduced level of consciousness with diminished responsiveness to the environment, and this level of arousal signals a moderate diminution in alertness, where the patient has a lessened interest in the environment, slowed responses to stimulation, and tends to be sleepy but can be a-r-o-u-s-e-d with moderate stimuli. According to the provided descriptions and options, the correct level of arousal for this patient would be c. Obtundation.

User Mortysporty
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