Editing Vegetative state (section)

== Causes ==
There are three main causes of PVS (persistent vegetative state):
* Acute [[traumatic brain injury]]
* Non-traumatic: [[neurodegenerative disorder]] or [[metabolic disorder]] of the brain
* Severe congenital abnormality of the [[central nervous system]]

Potential causes of PVS are:<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Teitelbaum JE, Kahan S, DeAntonis KO | edition = 2nd | title = In a Page: Pediatric signs & symptoms. | publisher = Lippincott Williams & Wilkins | date = 2007 | isbn = 978-0-7817-7045-3 }}</ref>
* [[Meningitis]]
* [[Encephalitis]]
* [[Intracranial pressure|Increased intracranial pressure]]
* [[Brain tumor]] 
* [[Brain abscess]] 
* [[Stroke#Ischemic stroke|Ischemic stroke]] 
* [[Intracerebral hemorrhage]]
* [[Subarachnoid hemorrhage]]
* [[Brain herniation]] 
* Hypoxic-anoxic brain injury
** [[Cardiac arrest]] 
** [[Respiratory arrest]]
** [[Arrhythmia|Cardiac arrhythmia]]
** [[Atrial fibrillation]] 
** [[Ventricular fibrillation]] 
** [[Ventricular tachycardia]] 
** [[Myocardial infarction]]
** [[Heart failure]]
** [[Drowning]]
** [[Myocarditis]] 
** [[Pericarditis]] 
** [[Cardiogenic shock]]
** [[Electrocution]] 
** [[Choking]] 
* Toxins such as uremia, [[ethanol]], [[atropine]], [[opiates]], [[lead]], [[dimethylmercury]], [[endrin]], [[parathion]], and [[colloidal silver]]<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Mirsattari SM, Hammond RR, Sharpe MD, Leung FY, Young GB | title = Myoclonic status epilepticus following repeated oral ingestion of colloidal silver | journal = Neurology | volume = 62 | issue = 8 | pages = 1408–10 | date = April 2004 | pmid = 15111684 | doi = 10.1212/01.WNL.0000120671.73335.EC | s2cid = 30767207 }}</ref>
* [[Traumatic brain injury|Physical trauma: Concussion, contusion, etc.]]
* [[Seizure]], both nonconvulsive status epilepticus and postconvulsive state (postictal state)
* Electrolyte imbalance, which involves [[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]], [[hyponatremia]], [[hypernatremia]], [[hypomagnesemia]], [[hypoglycemia]], [[hyperglycemia]], [[hypercalcemia]], and [[hypocalcemia]]
* Postinfectious: [[Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis]] (ADEM)
* Endocrine disorders such as adrenal insufficiency and thyroid disorders
* Degenerative and [[metabolic disease]]s including [[Urea_cycle#Urea_cycle_disorders|urea cycle disorders]], [[Reye syndrome]], and mitochondrial disease
* Systemic infection and [[sepsis]]
* [[Hepatic encephalopathy]]

In addition, these authors claim that doctors sometimes use the [[mnemonic]] device AEIOU-TIPS to recall portions of the differential diagnosis: Alcohol ingestion and acidosis, epilepsy and encephalopathy, infection, opiates, uremia, trauma, insulin overdose or inflammatory disorders, poisoning and psychogenic causes, and shock.