Altered mental status |
Wernicke’s encephalopathy; stroke; encephalitis; seizure; intoxication with alcohol, illicit drugs, carbon monoxide; hypertensive encephalopathy |
Transient loss of consciousness |
Arrhythmia; acute coronary syndrome; aortic dissection; pulmonary embolism; vasovagal syncope; hypovolemia; stroke; subarachnoid hemorrhage; seizure |
Headache |
Stroke; craniocervical vascular dissection; meningitis; carbon monoxide exposure; vestibular migraine; high or low intracranial pressure; subarachnoid hemorrhage |
Neck pain |
Craniocervical vascular dissection (esp. vertebral artery) |
Chest/back pain |
Acute coronary syndrome; aortic dissection |
Abdominal/back pain |
Ruptured ectopic pregnancy; aortic dissection |
Dyspnea |
Pulmonary embolism; pneumonia; anemia |
Palpitations |
Arrhythmia; vasovagal syncope; panic disorder |
Bleeding or fluid losses |
Hypovolemia; anemia |
New/recent medication use |
Medication side effects or toxicity (e.g., gentamicin) |
Fever or chills |
Systemic infection; encephalitis; mastoiditis; meningitis |
Abnormal glucose |
Symptomatic hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis |