Management of children and young people with an acute decrease in conscious level (RCPCH guideline update 2015)

This guideline provides an evidence and expert consensus-based framework to assess and manage paediatric patients aged 4 weeks–18 years with a decreased conscious level of unknown cause.1 It was produced by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and is endorsed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and College of Emergency Medicine (CEM). It updates previous guidance produced in 20052 to reflect evidence of changes in the demographics of children presenting to emergency settings with a decreased conscious level.3 The guideline provides a general overview of management, and readers are directed to national guidelines for detailed management of specific conditions (see box 1 for resources examples). The following patient groups are not included in this guideline: Box 1 ### Resources #### NICE guidelines #### Other Guidelines