Coma: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Coma is also known as blackout, insensibility, knockout, swim, swoon, syncope. A coma is a prolonged state of unconsciousness. During a coma, a person is unresponsive to his or her environment. The person is alive and looks like he or she is sleeping. However, unlike in a deep sleep, the person cannot be awakened by any stimulation, including pain.Treatment for a coma depends on the cause. People close to the comatose patient should give doctors as much information as possible to help the doctors determine the cause of coma. Prompt medical attention is vital to treat potentially reversible conditions. For example, if there is an infection that's affecting the brain, antibiotics may be needed.

Glucose may be required in the event of a diabetic shock. Surgery may also be necessary to relieve the pressure on the brain due to swelling or to remove a tumor.Certain drugs may also help relieve the swelling. Medication may also be given to stop seizures if necessary.In general, treatment for a coma is supportive. People in comas are looked after in an intensive care unit and may often require full life support until their situation improves.Sometimes the cause of a coma can be completely reversed and the affected person will regain normal function. But if the affected person has suffered severe brain damage, he or she may sustain permanent disabilities or may never regain consciousness. The person may enter a persistent vegetative state or become brain dead.

A coma is a serious medical emergency.Health professionals will start by ensuring the immediate survival of the patient and securing their breathing and circulation to maximize the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain.A doctor may administer glucose or antibiotics even before the results of blood tests are ready, in case the patient is in diabetic shock or has a brain infection.Treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the coma, for example, kidney failure, liver disease, diabetes, poisoning, and so on.If there is brain swelling, surgery may be needed to relieve the pressure.A coma is a medical emergency. Doctors will first check the affected person's airway and help maintain breathing (respiration) and circulation. Doctors may give breathing assistance, blood transfusions and other supportive care.

Emergency personnel may administer glucose or antibiotics intravenously, even before blood test results return, in case of diabetic shock or an infection affecting the brain.Treatment varies, depending on the cause of the coma. A procedure or medications to relieve pressure on the brain due to brain swelling may be needed.If the coma is the result of drug overdose, doctors will give medications to treat the condition. If the coma is due to seizures, doctors will administer medications to control seizures.Other treatments may focus on medications or therapies to address an underlying disease, such as diabetes or liver disease.

Although many people gradually recover from a coma, others enter a vegetative state or die. Some people who recover from a coma may have major or minor disabilities.Complications may develop during a coma, including pressure sores, bladder infections, blood clots in the legs and other problems During a coma, a person cannot communicate, so diagnosis is through the outward signs.These include: closed eyes, limbs that do not respond or voluntarily move, except for reflex movements, lack of response to painful stimuli, except for reflex movements.

How long these will take to develop, and how long they will continue, depend on the underlying cause.Before entering a coma, a person with worsening hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), or hypercapnia (higher blood CO2 levels), for example, will first experience mild agitation. Without treatment, their ability to think clearly will gradually decrease. Finally, they will lose consciousness.

The chances of a person's recovery depend on the cause of the coma, whether the problem can be corrected, and the duration of the coma. If the problem can be resolved, the person can often return to his or her original level of functioning. Sometimes, though, if the brain damage is severe, a person may be permanently disabled/never regain consciousness.Comas that result from drug poisonings have a high rate of recovery if prompt medical attention is received. Comas that result from head injuries tend to have a higher rate of recovery than comas related to lack of oxygen.

No specific information is available.

It can be very difficult to predict recovery when a person is a coma. If the cause of the coma can be successfully treated, the person may eventually awaken with no permanent damage.They are likely to be confused at first, but then they usually remember what happened before the coma, and be able to continue their life. Typically, some rehabilitation therapy is necessary.If brain damage has occurred, long-term impairment may result. If the person awakens, they may need to relearn basic skills, and they may not remember what happened.