Abstract
IntroductionSomnambulism is a state of dissociated consciousness, in which the affected person is partially asleep and partially awake. There is pervasive public opinion that sleepwalkers are protected from hurting themselves. There have been few scientific reports of trauma associated with somnambulism and no published investigations on the epidemiology or trauma patterns associated with somnambulism.MethodsWe included all emergency department (ED) admissions to University Hospital Inselspital, Berne, Switzerland, from January 1, 2000, until August 11, 2015, when the patient had suffered a trauma associated with somnambulism. Demographic data (age, gender, nationality) and medical data (mechanism of injury, final diagnosis, hospital admission, mortality and medication on admission) were included.ResultsOf 620,000 screened ED admissions, 11 were associated with trauma and sleepwalking. Two patients (18.2%) had a history of known non-rapid eye movement parasomnias. The leading cause of admission was falls. Four patients required hospital admission for orthopedic injuries needing further diagnostic testing and treatment (36.4%). These included two patients with multiple injuries (18.2%). None of the admitted patients died.ConclusionAlthough sleepwalking seems benign in the majority of cases and most of the few injured patients did not require hospitalization, major injuries are possible. When patients present with falls of unknown origin, the possibility should be evaluated that they were caused by somnambulism.
Highlights
Somnambulism is a state of dissociated consciousness, in which the affected person is partially asleep and partially awake
There have been few scientific reports of trauma associated with somnambulism and no published investigations on the epidemiology or trauma patterns associated with somnambulism
When patients present with falls of unknown origin, the possibility should be evaluated that they were caused by somnambulism. [West J Emerg Med. 2016;17(6)709-12.]
Summary
Somnambulism is a state of dissociated consciousness, in which the affected person is partially asleep and partially awake. Sleepwalking (somnambulism) is a state of dissociated consciousness, in which the affected person is partially asleep and partially awake.[1,2] There is pervasive public opinion that sleepwalkers are protected from hurting themselves. Most deep NREM sleep is in the first third of the night, so that the somnambulistic event usually occurs one to three hours after sleep onset, but ends when arousal is complete and full wakefulness is reached. It is generally followed by a rapid return to sleep. The patient exhibits complete amnesia of the episode upon awakening.[1,5,6] He may notice changes in the household (overturned furniture, flowerpots) or have personal injuries (scratches, wounds) after the episode
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