He described "being pulled backwards quickly through blackness - like going through a very long tunnel backwards". And on the third day, they noticed brain activity was returning, but still warned Alexander's prognosis wasn't good.
It's not your time yet'," he recalled. Murat Morrison, a writer and artist, was in a coma for three days, and "experienced some things which are very disturbing". He recalled being in a helicopter as medics raced to save him, pushing needles in his arm and flashes of light he now believes was doctors using a pen light to test his brain function.
Matthew Pallett, who studied at the University of the West of England, was involved in a serious car accident in After being pulled from the wreckage and rushed to hospital he was placed on life support for six weeks. It was so pure. Matthew later learned he had been given high doses of powerful drugs to help reduce dangerous swelling around his vital organs. A person who is in a coma is unconscious, and has minimal brain activity.
They are alive, but can't be woken and are not aware of what's happening in the world around them. It can result from an injury to the brain - such as head trauma or stroke. Severe alcohol poisoning, or a brain infection can also trigger a coma. And diabetics are prone to falling into a coma if their blood sugar levels suddenly drop hypoglycaemia or surge very quickly hyperglycaemia. There are different levels of coma, ranging from very deep where a patient is totally unresponsive to lesser comas, where the patient responds to some stimulation.
They might jerk as a reflex response to loud noises or move a hand away from a source of pain. They may produce sounds grunting or moaning or even occasional words. View full profile. See full profile. So you think it fits? Yes, it does. No, I'm not saying- It fits.
But once you accept that that's what it is, then you know how horrific it is. They will not talk. They will not move. They will not do anything at all. They may need ventilation support or they may not.
And they will remain in that state, with their eyes closed, throughout. So one of the things that defines coma is that your eyes are closed. At some point, usually within a week, two weeks, if they remain in that state, they will start to open their eyes. They will start to be slightly more reactive and responsive. Their eyes will be open. Their eyes might be moving around.
They might be twitching or moving a little bit. And in that case you might refer to that — or people do refer to that — as the vegetative state.
But in a descriptive sense we call them vegetative. How can you be sure that someone is not conscious? Derick Wade describes how he assesses whether or not a patient is conscious. How can you be sure that a patient is vegetative and has no awareness of themselves or the outside world?
So there is no electrical test or scanning test that will tell you definitively that this person is aware or not aware. So has that person extracted some meaning from what is happening? If I pinch anybody, if I pinch you, you would withdraw your hand — among other things. They may need medical help to secure the airways and ensure they continue to breathe. This could be a tube that passes through the nose or mouth, into the lungs.
In , neuroscientists using fMRI scanning technology observed brain activity in a man who had been in a coma for 12 years after a road traffic accident. For example, when they asked the man to imagine he was playing tennis or walking round his house, his brain activity reflected that he was thinking of doing these things. Scientists now believe that 15 to 20 percent of people in a so-called vegetative state may be fully conscious. Advances in technology mean that we are better able to understand what people are experiencing during a coma.
A person who is visiting a friend or family member who is in a coma can speak to them as they normally would, for example, explaining what has been happening during the day. It is unclear how much they can understand, but there is a chance the person may be able to hear and understand. They may like to listen to music. Research has also suggested that stimulating the senses of touch, smell, sound, and vision may help the person recover. Diabetes : If the blood sugar levels of a person with diabetes rise too much, this is known as hyperglycemia.
If they become too low, this is hypoglycemia. If hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia continue for too long, a coma can result. Hypoxia, or lack of oxygen : If the supply of oxygen to the brain is reduced or cut off, for example, during a heart attack , stroke, or near drowning, a coma may result.
Infections : Severe inflammation of the brain, spinal cord, or tissues surrounding the brain can result in coma. Examples include encephalitis or meningitis. Toxins and drug overdose : Exposure to carbon monoxide can result in brain damage and coma, as can some drug overdoses.
Traumatic brain injuries : Road traffic accidents, sports injuries, and violent attacks that involve a blow to the head can cause coma. A medical and recent history, blood tests, physical tests, and imaging scans can help find out the cause of a coma, and this helps decide which treatment to apply. Tests may involve squirting very cold or warm water into the ear canals.
These tests will trigger varying reflexive eye movements. The type of response varies according to the cause of the coma. This can check for any infection or disorder of the CNS. These will help determine whether there is any brain injury or damage, and where.
An electroencephalography EEG will measure electrical activity within the brain. It gives patients a score, according to verbal responses, physical responses, and how easily they can open their eyes. Eyes : Scores range from 1 to 4, where 1 is when a person does not open their eyes, 2 is when they open their eyes in response to pain, 3 is when they open them in response to voice, and 4 is when they open them spontaneously. Verbal : Scores range from 1 to 5, where 1 means the person makes no sound, 2 means they mumble but cannot be understood, 3 is when they utter inappropriate words, 4 is when they speak but are confused, and 5 is normal communication.
A person who scores 1 makes no movement, 2 is when they straighten a limb in response to pain, 3 is when they react in an unusual way to pain, 4 is when they move away from pain, and 5 is when they can pinpoint where the pain is.
A score of 6 means the person can obey commands. A score of 8 or less overall indicates a coma.
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