Can someone hear you if they are in a vegetative state? Other studies have shown that
up to 20 percent of patients in various vegetative states can hear and respond on at least some level
. But at least some of the responses seen could be dismissed as simple reflexes, or at best akin to someone in a dream state responding to stimuli.
Is someone in a vegetative state aware?
A vegetative state is when a person is awake but is showing
no signs of awareness
. A person in a vegetative state may: open their eyes. wake up and fall asleep at regular intervals.
Can vegetative state understand?
They also can't speak their thoughts or express desires to anyone. Moreover,
those in a vegetative state show no signs of understanding or emotion
.
Can you pull the plug on someone in a vegetative state?
“Pulling the plug” would render the patient unable to breathe, and the heart would stop beating within minutes
, he said. But if a patient is not brain dead and instead has suffered a catastrophic neurological brain injury, DiGeorgia said, he or she could breathe spontaneously for one or two days before dying.
Does vegetative state feel pain?
To the question “Do you think that patients in a minimally conscious state can feel pain?”
nearly all interviewed caregivers answered “yes” (96% of the medical doctors and 97% of the paramedical caregivers)
. Women and religious caregivers reported more often that minimally conscious patients may experience pain.
What are the chances of coming out of a vegetative state?
As with VS, the longer MCS persists, the lower the probability of recovery. In a group of acute TBI patients initially in a MCS,
40% will regain full consciousness within 12 weeks of injury, and up to 50% will regain independent function at one year
(Giacino et al., 2004).
Can someone in a coma hear you?
They won't normally respond to sound or pain
, or be able to communicate or move voluntarily, and basic reflexes, such as coughing and swallowing, will be greatly reduced. They may be able to breathe on their own, although some people require a machine to help them breathe.
How long can a person live in a persistent vegetative state?
It is very rare for someone to recover if the vegetative state lasts more than a month
. Occasionally, people with head injuries have some recovery within 12 months, though they tend to have lasting effects from their injuries.
Can brain activity come back?
Brain death: Irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem. A person who is brain dead is dead, with
no chance of revival
.
Is vegetative state worse than coma?
A coma, sometimes also called persistent vegetative state, is a profound or deep state of unconsciousness
. Persistent vegetative state is not brain-death. An individual in a state of coma is alive but unable to move or respond to his or her environment.
Can you recover permanent vegetative state?
In adults and children with nontraumatic injuries, a persistent vegetative state can be considered to be permanent after three months;
recovery does occur, but it is rare and at best associated with moderate or severe disability
.
Can patients hear you when they are sedated?
It is possible that patients can hear and feel what is going on around them, even when apparently unconscious
, but they might be too sleepy to respond when we speak to them or hold their hand.
Why do coma patients cry?
A comatose patient may open his eyes, move and even cry while still remaining unconscious.
His brain-stem reflexes are attached to a nonfunctioning cortex
. Reflex without reflection. Many professionals speak of this condition as a ”persistent vegetative state.
Does talking to a person in a coma help?
Familiar Voices And Stories Speed Coma Recovery
Patients in comas may benefit from the familiar voices of loved ones, which
may help awaken the unconscious brain and speed recovery
, according to research from Northwestern Medicine and Hines VA Hospital.
Why are people in vegetative state kept alive?
In some cases, it may be that
the family believe that the patient would have wanted ongoing treatment regardless of their level of consciousness or prognosis
. Alternatively, some family members may be hoping for a “miracle” recovery or are simply not yet ready to let go of a loved one.
Can someone on life support hear you?
They do hear you
, so speak clearly and lovingly to your loved one. Patients from Critical Care Units frequently report clearly remembering hearing loved one's talking to them during their hospitalization in the Critical Care Unit while on “life support” or ventilators.
What test is done to see if someone is brain dead?
A patient properly determined to be brain dead is legally and clinically dead. The diagnosis of brain death is primarily clinical. No other tests are required if the full clinical examination, including
an assessment of brain stem reflexes and an apnea test
, is conclusively performed.
How long can someone be on life support with no brain activity?
After turning off life support,
a person who's brain-dead will die within minutes
, because they won't be able to breathe on their own. If a person is in a permanent vegetative state but not brain-dead, their life support likely consists of fluids and nutrition.
What do you call someone in a vegetative state?
Patients in a vegetative state may have awoken from a coma, but still have not regained awareness. In the vegetative state patients can open their eyelids occasionally and demonstrate sleep-wake cycles, but completely lack cognitive function. The vegetative state is also called a “
coma vigil
“.
Can you talk if you are on a ventilator?
You may have a ventilator attached to the trach tube to control your breathing.
You can still talk if air can get through your vocal folds
. However, your voice will sound different. The ventilator pushes air out of your body in cycles.
Does being on a ventilator mean you are on life support?
2. How Does a Ventilator Work? A ventilator helps get oxygen into the lungs of the patient and removes carbon dioxide (a waste gas that can be toxic).
It is used for life support
, but does not treat disease or medical conditions.
Can you be conscious on life support?
Although in the past patients were kept in an induced coma while they were on mechanical ventilation, these days recent research suggests that
it's possible to keep patients comfortably awake and alert while they are on mechanical ventilation
.
What is the longest someone has been in a vegetative state?
A woman has regained full consciousness after
28 years
in a vegetative state. Munira Abdulla suffered a severe brain injury a car crash in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1991 – when she was 32. For years there were no signs she would ever wake up.
How do you talk to someone in a coma?
Talk or read to your relative, for example, tell them about your day, or what is happening at home; talk about their favourite sports team; speak of familiar names, places, interests and experiences that the person has had in the past. This should be done in a sensible, normal voice, as if they were able to reply.
Are vegetative patients conscious?
Patients in a vegetative state are awake, breathe on their own, and seem to go in and out of sleep. But they do not respond to what is happening around them and
exhibit no signs of conscious awareness
.
Is vegetative state worse than coma?
A coma, sometimes also called persistent vegetative state, is a profound or deep state of unconsciousness
. Persistent vegetative state is not brain-death. An individual in a state of coma is alive but unable to move or respond to his or her environment.
Can a person with no brain activity breathe on their own?
When someone is ‘brain dead' they have no reflexes and cannot breathe on their own
. They will never regain consciousness or the ability to breathe and are considered legally dead. Usually when someone loses brain stem function they stop breathing, their heart stops and they are clearly dead.
