Comatose, commonly referred to as a coma, is a state of the body the majority of the population is familiar with. However, the average citizen is not fully aware of the details of this convoluted state. Comatose only affects a small portion of the population, and there are several aspects pertaining to being in a comatose including the definition, diagnosis, and treatments.
By definition a comatose is a deep state of unconsciousness in which the patient cannot be awakened, does not have sleep cycles, and does not respond to stimuli such as pain, light, and sound. A long term comatose is referred to as a persistent vegetative state. There are several harbingers that one may be falling into a comatose state including eyes not opening, no response to pain except for reflexes, and no voluntary movements except for reflexes (Nordqvist).
There is no bias as to whether or not an individual falls into a coma. Man or woman, young or old, all people are equally susceptible. However, certain people do run a higher risk of falling into a coma if they have a particular ailment. Individuals who are diabetic run the risk of falling into a diabetic coma during periods of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia (Nordqvist). There are also several other conditions that can cause a person to fall into a comatose. Those with a lack of oxygen flowing to the brain, a condition called hypoxia, are susceptible. Infection causing inflammation to the brain, tissues surrounding the brain, or the spinal cord, as well as strokes (lack of blood flow to the brain) can cause a comatose (Nordqvist). Toxins in the body such as drug overdoses are also a cause because they can cause brain damage (Nordqvist). But as long as the brain is not structurally damaged, ...
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...ing developed. Comas not a hackneyed subject at all, and are a very interesting topic people should be more informed about.
Works Cited
Mindell, Arnold. Coma: The Dreambody Near Death. Portland, OR: Shambhala Pulications, 1989. Print.
Morin, Pierre, and Gary Reiss. Inside Coma: A New View of Awareness, Healing, and Hope. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2010. Print.
Nordqvist, Christian. "What Is a Coma (comatose)? What Is a Persistent Vegitative State?" Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, Dec.-Jan. 2009. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. .
Stack, Nancy. Personal interview. 30 Jan. 2014.
"What Is a Medically Induced Coma and Why Is It Used?" Scientific American. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. .
As good writers do, Kevin has exquisitely used language to favor his side. His wide arsenal includes weapons such as non-sequiturs, vague comparisons, jargons, emotive terms, connoted meanings and multiple others. The author knew that his target audience would not be specialized in bioengineering and its application in the medicine industry. He exploited this vulnerability of theirs by using scientific terms like “formulaic”, “clinically”, “suicidal ideation” and “cardiac hypertrophy” throughout the essay. This usage of jargon (Carroll, 2012) accompanied by him acting as an expert persuades the reader to believe in his writing.
...s, physicians, and family members on the importance of prevention, detection, and treatment of ICU delirium. When successful, the ICU staff can promote a healthy environment to support physical and physiological well-being.
Anesthesia, “We take it for granted that we can sleep through operations without feeling any pain. But until about 150 years ago, the operating room was a virtual torture chamber because surgeons had no way to prevent the pain caused by their healing knives.”
This paper will identify and discuss what an incapacitating agent is. It will identify a few moments
1.The Multi-Society Task force on PVS. Medical aspects of the persistent vegetative state. N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1499-508.
Imagine you are in a boring lecture and you start to drift to sleep, usually you can manage to force yourself to wake up. This may be common occurrence but try to imagine falling asleep while driving or walking. These situations seem more rare. A narcoleptic’s body doesn’t care what it is doing when it goes into these paralyzed sleeping episodes. The sudden overwhelming feeling drives the narcoleptic person to fall asleep. One type of episode that they experience is called cataplexy, which is usually caused by some stressful situation or other common activities such as laughing or running (6). During these periods the person suffers from muscle weakness and paralysis. Although the person appears to be sleeping, they are still conscious, but unable to move. They can hear and feel but cannot react to stimulation. For this reason narcolepsy is a very dangerous condition to have without receiving treatment because serious vehicle accidents can result as well as an general inability to succeed in school (6).
“Medical futility is a complex concept as there is no universally accepted definition.” (Chow, RN, ANP-BC, 2014) Futility was found among the group of colleagues on the ICU floor to mean a considerable use of resources without hope for recovery. The most common answers as to why medically futile care was provided were due to demands from family members and disagreements among team members regarding their plan of action. A major concern in these situations is that family members are left to make decisions without any health care knowledge. Communication is key here; critical care team members and family members have to try to overcome the difficult situation they have been placed in to figure out what is the best plan. The palliative care team should have been brought in sooner in L.J.’s case because on top of the lack of communication, “the case happened at the beginning of an academic year when new medical residents and fellows were just becoming oriented in the hospital system.” (Chow, RN, ANP-BC,
Second Opinion . Medical Glossary | PBS. (n.d.). PBS. Retrieved October 21, 2009, from http://www.pbs.org/secondopinion/episodes/sleepdisorders/medicalglossary/story348.html
There are two ways in which a person dies: cardiopulmonary death or brain death. Both are formal and legal definitions of death. Cardiopulmonary death is the irreversible loss of function in the heart and lungs. People who have suffered irreparable brain damage (such as head trauma or stroke) are diagnosed with brain death, which is “the irreversible cessation of all brain functions," according to Health System University of Miami.
active during this stage because they are so active when we dream. The period of paralyzation
“She will sleep the sleep of death,” said Ghoneim (2001) in his book Awareness during Anesthesia (p. 55). Patient recall is a frightening and fascinating concept describing how a patient could remember events while under anesthesia during surgery. It is a rising concern in the medical field because of its traumatic effects on the patients. Patient awareness involves the patient under anesthesia experiencing pain, vaguely remembering music or remembering the physicians talking as if the patient were dreaming. This topic is very controversial in that there are not very many cases in which a patient experienced recall or brought it to the anesthetist’s attention. Throughout this essay, I am aiming to discuss anesthesia as well as patient recall and the ways in which we can solve this issue. Patient recall involves patients with preconceived notions as well as poorly trained professionals who make mistakes, to solve this issue both patients and anesthesia providers must work together.
Imagine watching a family member slip off into a land where they don’t even recognize you or other relatives. Their personality and health rapidly deteriorate to the point of becoming unrecognizable. Within a year, they slip into a coma and eventually die. There is absolutely nothing doctors
In October of 1998, the Courant’s survey of the 50 states identified that 142 individuals died in physical restraints or seclusion. Another study was done in four Turkish hospitals from July to September of 2005. The study’s findings were, “Nurses used either wrist, ankle, or whole body restraints at various levels. Those nurses who worked in surgical intensive care units and emergency departments and had in-service training used more physical restraint than did others. Only a third of nurses decided on physical restraint together with physicians and three-fourths tried alternative methods. Nurses reported edema and cyanosis on the wrist and arm regions, pressure ulcers on various regions, and aspiration and breathing difficulties in relation to physical restraint.
"American Society of Anesthesiologists." About ASA. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Jacobson, Joy. "Tackling PTSD and ICU patients and their caregivers: studies suggest approaches to averting PTSD." American Journal of Nursing 110.12 (Dec 2010): 18(1). General OneFile. Gale. UMass Dartmouth. 22 Feb. 2011