Premium Essay

Comas In Medical Research

Submitted By
Words 1083
Pages 5
Comas have been a major mystery in medical history. In recent years the research into comas has helped many people in the medical field care for and understand what exactly comas entel. Comas are a long journey but there are chances of recovery and living a healthy life. A coma is defined as a profound or deep state of unconsciousness. There are many causes for comas. These can include traumatic brain injury, swelling, bleeding, stroke, lack of oxygen, diabetes, infection, and toxic exposure. The most common symptom for a coma is trauma. This could be either a closed or open head injury which usually causes the brain stem to be damaged (“Traumatic”). People who are in a coma are unconscious and they cannot be woken up by touch …show more content…
In a vegetative state the person is awake but is not aware of their surroundings or themselfs. The patient will go through empty wake cycles and after a month like this they are in a persistent vegetative state. Some patients though try to track people around the room with their eyes or try to squeeze someone's hand. These signs may not be consistent but the patient is then in a minimally conscious state, MCS. Patients in MCS also have more potential for a better recovery than someone in a vegetative state. There are many new studies for MCS patients. Some doctors have been giving the drug Zolpidem, a sleeping aid, which has actually woken up patients temporarily and allowed them to perform better on some cognitive tasks. One of the clinical trials actually used Amantadine, a tremor medicine, for four weeks. All of the patients that received Amantadine showed a rapid improvement in disability scores. Although it worked for this trial it is still currently being studied for long term effects. Using deep brain stimulation, DBS, has also had many positive results in patients that have MCS. This is a therapy where wires are placed in the brain and attached to an electric stimulator that is put under the patient's skin. This therapy also is being studied further (“Waking”). While it is typical to hear about MCS and the vegetative state there are different things that can happen while in a coma. Some people …show more content…
The recovery road is long and hard but it is possible. Understanding as much as possible about comas will help society be more prepared and well educated on the subject if it ever does occur.

Works Cited

C. (2013, April 4). Waking Up from Coma: New Treatments, New Hope. Retrieved May 2, 2017, from http://www.dana.org/Publications/ReportOnProgress/Waking_Up_from_Coma_New_Treatments_New_Hope/

Coma. (2015, June 18). Retrieved May 2, 2017, from http:/www.nhs.uk/Conditions/coma/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Coma: Types,Causes,Treatments,Prognosis. (2016). Retrieved May 2, 2017, from http:/www.webmd.com/brain/coma-types-causes-treatments-prognosis#1

Traumatic Brian Injury. (2010, January). Retrieved May 2, 2017, from http://www.allabouttbi.com/brain-damage/coma.htm

Understanding Stages of Coma. (2016). Retrieved May 2, 2017, from

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Biggie Smalls

...creating the unconsciousness of patients. (1) The role of the anesthesiologist in the operating room is to: provide continual medical assessment of the patient, and monitor the patient's vital life functions. They must also control the heart rate and rhythm, breathing, blood pressure, body temperature and body fluid balance; and control the patient's pain and level of unconsciousness to make conditions ideal for a safe and successful surgery. (5) The side effects patients may experience from Anesthesia make it a cautionary practice. Patient may experience such as: nausea, abnormal heart rhythms, or fogginess. (1) More severe side effects include: brain injury or death.(1) These possible side effects led scientist to research the effect anesthesia has on the human brain. The underlying question remains: Can in depth research on the human brain he make general anesthesia more efficient to eliminate the side effects? When Anesthesia was initially discovered in the 1840’s, patients would either drink large amount of alcohol, take opiates or they’d have to suffer through the trauma of surgery without any alleviator. (1) In 1844, a dentist named Horace Wells discovered that nitrous gas, also referred to as laughing gas, and could be used to relieve pain during operations.(1) Through several experiments Wells’ discovery was rejected by the medical community.(1) In 1846, another dentist named William Morton discovered that ether could be used to alleviate the pain during...

Words: 1093 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Greater Harm Case Summary

...in diabetic coma. Mr. Clark has end-stage pancreatic cancer which he has been treated at VA hospital. Mr. Clark has stated he would like to seek treatment as long as possible and declined palliative care from VA and its physician. According to Cancer Research UK, advanced stage of pancreatic cancer, such as the one Mr. Clark has, survival rate is two to six month(Cancer Research UK, 2015). When Mr. Clark was brought to ED, he also had heart failure and his kidneys are not functioning properly. There are no financial situations available but considering his age, Mr. Clark is eligible for Medicare for his medical needs. The only existing family Mr. Clark has is an estranged sister in California. Mr. Clark’s primary care giver has been her neighbor, Sonja for 20 years. Mr. Clark has been seeing in the VA hospital in metropolitan for over 25 years and he refused to find primary care physician in his area. The VA would not accept Mr. Clark’s transfer...

Words: 1776 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Early Mental Illnesses

...Early Treatments for Mental Illnesses In the past two decades, we have made magnificent medical achievements. Thanks to technological advancements and better understanding of the human anatomy, the medical field has overcome issues we once believed we would never imagine overcoming. From sanitation, to understanding the human anatomy, even becoming more advanced in procedures. For example, one of the more important categories we have advanced in would be mental illnesses. Just 20 years ago, we were performing cruel, inhumane procedures on mental patients because we were not fully understanding how to treat them. We now know and understand 200 different mental illnesses, and how to treat them, without causing pain or risking death. Using medication,...

Words: 1220 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Ebola

...measures that should be taken. Apart from humans, Ebola has been found in other nonhuman primates such as monkeys and chimpanzees especially in Africa. But in other places such as the Philippines, the virus has been found in pigs. It, therefore, means that, on some occasions, the viruses is transmitted to humans from animals. People who butcher and eat infected animals in are at high risks of contracting the virus. Experts who have worked on infected animals have also been affected due to contact with the animal’s blood. Person to person transmission becomes active in various cases especially when people are taking care of the loved ones. Some even become infected as they prepare the deceased for burial rights. (Team, p.500). Those in the medical field can be infected if they fail to use protective materials such as gloves and surgical masks. If contaminated needles are not sterilized, Ebola virus can be...

Words: 2359 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Persuasive Speech: Euthanasia

...Specific purpose : To persuade my audience that euthanasia should be legalized in Malaysia. Central idea : Euthanasia is about giving people the right to choose how they want to live and die, saves money in medical bills, and it also stops the person from having a bad quality of life. INTRODUCTION Attention getter : Imagine yourself being unable to walk, unable to see, and can barely breathe let alone speak. Your life was well lived all those years before. You are now in such unbearable pain that you can’t even cry. You can no longer complete simple tasks on your own and there is no way that you could function without assistance. You think and feel as if your life has no meaning. Although your family is there to support you, you wonder could ending your life be the answer? Well in all reality this isn’t something anyone needs to imagine. This is a real situation for many, many people. These people should be able to make their own choices and have control of their own lives. Thesis What’s life without the quality of life? Now let's take a look and examine 3 reasons why Physician Assistant suicide should be legalized. PAS is about giving people the right to choose how they want to live and die, saves money in medical bills, and it also stops the person from having a bad quality of life. Transition to body of speech : BODY A. Main-point 1: Everyone has the right to choose how they want to live and die. i. Supporting details: ...

Words: 2641 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Critique Part 2

...Quantitative Critique: GCS and Later Cerebral Atrophy in Pediatric TBI Sofia Soqui Grand Canyon Univserity Introduction The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the most common scoring system used to describe the level of consciousness in a person a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This scale does have its limitations when it comes to its use in pediatrics, but it continues to be a great method of estimating severity of TBI. There now is a pediatric version of the GCS that has been altered to accommodate the different ages in children (Pediatric Care Online). This article performed a study to see if there is any correlation between a pediatric patients GCS score and later cerebral atrophy after a traumatic brain injury. Protection of Human Participants In the article the authors do not address any risks or benefits that may come from participating in this study. There were no risks that I could identify from reading the article, as participants were to only receive a quantitative magnetic resonance image (QMRI) approximately four months after a TBI. I also do no think that there is anything beneficial for the patient from this research study, as it seems that the final results will benefit future TBI victims in determining if they will be faced cerebral atrophy. There was no mention in the article about informed consent, but no personal information was disclosed in the article. The authors did not mention if there was an approval by an institutional review board. The only patient...

Words: 1066 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Pro Euthanasia Research Paper

...Many people of different ages suffer from various diseases and some of them don’t have cures or pain killers. Other people are doomed to stay alive by only being connected to medical devices. It’s certainly a hard condition for these patients and no wonder that they might lose hope in life and wanting to end their suffering in any possible way. Its even harder for family members and friends to see someone they love and care about enduring such condition and not being able to help them. Many people with incurable diseases have thought about euthanasia. Their families do not want them to go through the pain any longer. One reason why these families should not consider euthanasia is because medical technology is advancing at an alarming rate...

Words: 840 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Diabetes

...Diabetes Dr. Langston Diabetes Mellitus also known as diabetes “dates back to 1500 B.C. nearly 3,500 years ago” (Beaser and Hill, 1995, p.9). Today type 2 diabetes affects millions of people. Currently there is no cure for diabetes. “However, recent advances in genetic engineering technology now offer great promise for overcoming the problems which have frustrated researchers in the past” (Alterman and Kullman, 2000, p. 263). People with diabetes could suffer serious complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (diabetic coma), arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy to mention a few. Diabetes is a disease that affects 25.8 million people in the United States alone. This disease results when there is a high level of sugar in the blood for an extended period of time. It can be controlled by diet, exercise, pills and insulin injections. There are three main types of diabetes--Type I, which affects primarily the younger population; Type II, which primarily affects the population above 40; and gestational diabetes, which affects women during the third trimester of their pregnancy. For some people the cause could be the body does not respond to insulin. “Virtually all cells in the body contain special proteins called receptors that bind to insulin. They work like a lock and key. In order for glucose to enter the cell, insulin (the key) must first fit into the insulin...

Words: 1099 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mcmath's Case Summary

...would, the doctors hoped, cure her sleep apnea. Jahi underwent the second most common surgery for her age group. Unexpectedly, the surgery went wrong. McMath began quickly bleeding from the nose and mouth in her recovery room and she had gone into a coma. Doctors were able to restart her heart but her brain had suffered immense damage from the lack of oxygen. The damage...

Words: 992 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Traumatic Brain Injury

...Traumatic Brain Injury Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious health issue in the United States. Each year traumatic brain injuries affect millions of Americans. Some cases often result in death while those that survive are left with severe disabilities. Every twenty-one seconds, one person in the United States is sustained with a TBI. In 2013 alone, 1.5 million Americans suffered from traumatic brain injuries. What exactly is a TBI? A traumatic brain injury is defined as an alteration in brain function or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. TBI’s can be classified as congenital, perinatal, or acquired. In congenital and perinatal cases of TBIs, children are born with such diseases and/or physical abnormalities. Two subcategories of an acquired TBI are non-traumatic and traumatic. From there traumatic brain injuries are broken down into two more sub-categories called open and closed injuries. Open head injury is a skull fracture that is driven into the brain caused by high- momentum causes or objects to the head where as a closed head injury is a mild physical trauma, but still keeping the skull intact. Typical causes for TBI’s are falls, motor vehicle- traffic accidents, struck by/collision accidents, and sports injuries. The two main causes are motor vehicle- traffic accidents and sports injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of all head injuries. These accidents cause about 28% of traumatic brain injuries. The...

Words: 1163 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Donation

...Writing to Convince Argumentative and Persuasive Essays Sometimes we write to defend an opinion, to argue against somebody’s point of view, or to convince readers why and how we think a certain problem should be settled. The argument we develop should be a logical, properly thought-out presentation of ideas that makes a claim about an issue and supports that claim with evidence. Within this general frame, our argument consists of four basic components: (1) an issue, (2) a claim, (3) support, and (4) a recognition and refutation of the opposing view. A. The Issue. An argument is concerned with an issue – a case (like war, smoking, cloning, etc.) on which people hold opposite or different opinions. To build a convincing argument about an issue, it is essential that we be aware of the audience we are addressing: • Agreeing audience: When you write to people who already agree with your claim, the focus is usually to urge them to take a specific action and build emotional ties with them. • Neutral audience: In writing to a neutral audience, try to emphasize the importance of the issue and offer explanations that clear up your readers’ questions or misunderstandings about, or lack of interest in it. • Disagreeing audience: The most challenging audience combines people whose viewpoints contrast with yours; they may be hostile to your claim and have strong feelings about the issue. In writing to a disagreeing audience, your goal is to convince readers to consider...

Words: 2764 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Electric Pants Research Paper

...Electric Pants Research Paper Hannah Bradley Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing Electric Pants Research Paper Bedsores are a common injury among the elderly and individuals who have disabilities that make them mobility challenged. Bedsores also known as, “pressure ulcers” are most commonly found along the buttocks, heels, shoulder blades or the back of the head. This occurs when blood flow is cut off to the surrounding cells, causing the muscles to be starved of proper nutrients and oxygen. This forces the tissues to break down. Pressure ulcers are common among individuals who are immobilized and those who sit in the same position for hours at a time. Bedsores can be devastating but with new electronic advances they can be prevented. Traditional practices utilize repositioning of patients every couple hours in order to eliminate bedsores. Now there is an easier way. “Scientists have a developed underwear with built-in electrodes that deliver small electric shocks to combat bed sores in patients who are in a coma or who have injuries that have immobilized them.” (Jha, 2012). These electrodes mimic the effect of moving around and send fresh blood back into the area with every contraction....

Words: 479 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Business

...Rgggggghjjhgffffhgdfhhhgvfghhjjhgfghjigreujtfguyfhkokjffnjkbveujjffjjjng Up with Good & Interesting Research Paper Topics Everyone knows that writing is hard. If it wasn’t, well – this entire article probably wouldn’t exist. This manual, however, can turn mandatory writing into an exciting venture! Instead of drudging through a lame history paper, make your history topic exciting. Have you ever thought of these following topics for a history paper? How did Neo-Nazism evolve in America? What was the role of African Americans during the Revolutionary War? How has United States censorship changed over the decades? Is the Civil Rights movement an ongoing occurrence? What was Britain’s view of India during British rule? What were the views on PTSD during different United States wars? What is the ongoing affect of the New Deal? What is the ongoing affect of the Civil Rights movement? What were the factors in the China-Tibet conflict? What were the little-know conservative U.S. movements? Any of them sound exciting? They should be! Research papers are trying, but they also have the ability to be very rewarding. Think about it. A simple psychology paper has the opportunity to be… All about the concept of sexuality. An insightful view into the medical uses of hypnotism. A study of the validity of positive thinking strategies. A look into the use of Pavlov’s conditioning in children. A study on the development of memory. A view of home life and its affect on child...

Words: 442 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Tcp1 - Research Paper

...Utilization of Continuous Electroencephalography in the Intensive Care Unit TCP1 – Task 2 – Research Paper Patients are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital for a myriad of disease and injury conditions. Critically ill patients often present with a specific serious health issue that needs to be addressed, however, can often evolve to include secondary problems. Secondary cardiac issues develop from a long list of unrelated heart conditions, and as such, all ICU patients today are placed on bedside electrocardiogram (EKG) monitoring. Years of research, advancements in technology, and international implementation of the service has led to bedside EKG being the standard of care for all ICU patients, regardless of the primary diagnosis. The heart is not the only organ that can often have secondary issues. For decades physicians have tracked and noted secondary neurologic changes in their critically ill patients, but lacked research-based evidence on what caused the neurologic change onset, and how best to monitor and watch for those changes. Over the past two decades, a lot of research has been conducted looking into this specific issue. Research now suggests that the use of continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) for patient populations in the ICU is an effective, affordable, valuable, and prognostic diagnostic tool to evaluate cerebral function, detection of epileptic activity, and to monitor neurologic changes. Electroencephalography (EEG) is...

Words: 3720 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Concussion Literature Review Essay

...Literature review A concussion is often referred to mild brain injury by medical professionals. The study of Gerberich published in 1983 was one of the first widely cited articles to deal with concussions in high school football and spanned the years 1978–1982. Emily A. Harrison, a doctoral candidate in the History of Science Department at Harvard University researched, sports concussion has become a prominent public health problem in the early 21st century, also referred to as “The Concussion Crisis.” Harrison found that Football-related concussion contributed to much of the epidemic burden and inspired a lot of public awareness. The crisis has been around for more than a century. In the first decades of the sport of football, concussions...

Words: 724 - Pages: 3