Opisthotonos

Home Care

Hospital care is required for a person who develops opisthotonos.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Go to the emergency room or see your doctor immediately if this symptom occurs. Typically, however, opisthotonos is a symptom that follows late in the course of other conditions, which are serious enough that medical attention will likely have already been sought.

This condition will be evaluated in a hospital setting. Emergency measures will be taken as appropriate.

The medical history will be obtained, and a physical examination will be performed.

Medical history questions documenting opisthotonos in detail may include:

• When did this behavior start?
• Is it always the same type of posturing?
• What other symptoms preceded or accompanied the abnormal posturing (particularly fever, stiff neck, headache, but also any others)?
• Is there any significant medical history (such as a recent illness)?

The physical examination will include a complete assessment of the nervous system.

The cause of the opisthotonos will be suggested by the history and physical examination. Diagnostic tests may include:

• Lumbar puncture and analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF culture, CSF cell counts, and similar studies), electrolyte analysis
• CT scan of the head
• MRI of the head
• Blood and urine tests