Home Care:

Conditions related to decerebrate posture need to be treated right away in a hospital.

Call your health care provider if:

Abnormal posturing of any kind usually occurs with a reduced level of alertness. Anyone who has an abnormal posture should be examined right away by a health care provider.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The person may need emergency treatment right away. This includes breathing assistance and placement of a breathing tube. The person will likely be admitted to the hospital and placed in intensive care.

Once the person is stable, the health care provider will do a more complete physical exam, including a brain and nervous system assessment.

Family members will be asked questions about the person's medical history, including:

• When did this behavior start?
• Is there a pattern to the occurrences?
• Is it always the same type of posture?
• Is there any history of a head injury or other condition?
• What other symptoms came before or with the abnormal posturing?

Tests may include:

• Blood and urine tests to check blood counts, screen for drugs and toxic substances, and measure body chemicals and minerals
• Cerebral angiography (dye and x-ray study of blood vessels in the brain)
• CT or MRI of the head
• EEG (brain wave testing)
• Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring

The outlook depends on the cause. There may be brain and nervous system injury and permanent brain damage, which can lead to:

• Coma
• Inability to communicate
• Paralysis
• Seizures