Treatment of encephalopathy varies with the primary cause of the symptoms. Consequently, not all cases of encephalopathy are treated the same. Some examples of different "encephalopathy treatments" for different causes:
Short-term anoxia (usually less than two minutes): oxygen therapy
Long-term anoxia: rehabilitation
Short-term alcohol toxicity: IV fluids or no therapy
Long-term alcohol abuse (cirrhosis or chronic liver failure): oral lactulose, low-protein diet, antibiotics
Uremic encephalopathy (due to kidney failure): correct the underlying physiologic cause, dialysis, kidney transplant
Diabetic encephalopathy: administer glucose to treat hypoglycemia, insulin to treat hyperglycemia
Hypo- or hypertensive encephalopathy: medications to raise (for hypotensive) or reduce (for hypertensive) blood pressure
The key to treatment of any encephalopathy is to understand the basic cause and thus design a treatment scheme to reduce or eliminate the cause(s). There is one type of encephalopathy that is difficult or impossible to treat; it is static encephalopathy (an altered mental state or brain damage that is permanent). The best that can be done with static encephalopathy is, if possible, to prevent further damage and implement rehabilitation to allow the individual to perform at his or her highest possible functional level.