What is a coma?

Answer 1

~A good way to catch up on your rest - provided the tubes are plugged in.

Answer 2

Coma is a state of brain function. The human brain performs at different levels of consciousness. Each level does not have distinct boundaries, but rather, at one end blends into the level above it and at the other, blends into the level below it. At the highest level of performance the mind is perceived as alert, sharp, quick to respond to varying forms of input. Through a gentle phasing down, the brain may become progressively less responsive until, at the lowest level of function, the brain is in a state of coma. This represents the last state before death. This state most frequently occurs abruptly rather than in phases, usually followed by a progressive recovery.
The different shades of a color progress from extremely dark to so light that the color appears white. In this spectrum of shades, coma might be compared to the darkest shade where the color can still be distinguished before coming black. All the other shades represent lighter and lighter levels of consciousness to almost white, at which point the brain is in a state of full alertness.

Is this lowest end of the spectrum of consciousness not equivalent to the state of sleep that we all go through every night? In outward appearance indeed it is, but if brain function is measured during sleep, and indeed electroencephalography does measure such functions, the brain is then found to be in a state of readiness to respond to certain external or internal forms of stimulation and can jump from a "coma-like" state to full alertness in an instantThe close outward similarity between sleep and coma triggered the most widely used definition of coma which states that "coma is a sleep-like state from which an individual cannot be aroused". In all its simplicity and apparent clarity, this definition is fraught with inaccuracy and danger. The very simple wording of the definition has made it easy to remember and to use and has allowed it to endure over many decades. Most professionals have accepted the definition and interpreted it in its most concrete sense, but herein lies the inaccuracy and the danger.

Upon closer scrutiny, looking at the first part of the definition - "coma is a sleep-like state", a redundancy appears. The word coma is derived from the Greek word Koma, meaning "state of sleep". The term was first used by our Greek father of medicine, Hippocrates, to describe this very state of the brain at the lowest end of the spectrum of function. If "Koma" is translated into English, the definition then reads "the state of sleep is a sleep-like state". To that redundancy we must add the danger implied in describing coma as a "sleep-like state". To most individuals, a "sleep-like state" sounds quite benign, a situation which should be short-lived and followed quite rapidly by an "awake-like state". When this does not happen, families are perplexed, frustrated and distraught.

The second half of the definition "from which an individual cannot be aroused" is clearly inaccurate, for thousands of individuals have eventually been aroused from coma. The danger in that portion of the definition is in its interpretation, not by the families, but by the professionals who erroneously assume that since the individual cannot be aroused, then no effort should be made to arouse the individual, and such a statement becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Such attitudes lead to further family frustration, now compounded by despair and by anger.

Answer 3

a profound state of unconsciousness. A comatose patient cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary actions. Coma may result from a variety of conditions, including intoxication, metabolic abnormalities, central nervous system diseases, acute neurologic injuries such as stroke, and hypoxia.

Answer 4

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A coma can be difficult to understand, especially because people sometimes jokingly use the words coma and comatose (say: ko-muh-tohss), which means in a coma or coma-like state) to describe people who aren't paying attention or who are drowsy or sleeping. But a coma is a serious condition that has nothing to do with sleep.

What Happens When Someone Is in a Coma?
If someone is in a coma, he is unconscious and will not respond to voices, other sounds, or any sort of activity going on around him. He is still alive, but his brain is functioning at its lowest stage of alertness. You can't shake and wake up someone who is in a coma like you can someone who has just fallen asleep.

What Can Cause a Coma?
Comas can be caused by different things, including:

a severe injury to the head that hurts the brain
seizures
infections involving the brain
brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen for too long
an overdose (taking too much) of medicine or other drugs
a stroke
When one of these things happens, it can mess up how the brain's cells work. This can hurt the parts of the brain that make someone conscious, and if those parts stop working, the person will stay unconscious.

How Do People Take Care of Someone in a Coma?
A person in a coma usually needs to be cared for in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital. There, he can get extra care and attention from doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff. They make sure the person gets fluids, nutrients, and any medicines he needs to keep his body as healthy as possible. These are sometimes given through a tiny plastic tube inserted in a vein or through a feeding tube that brings fluids and nutrients directly to the stomach.

Sometimes a comatose person is unable to breathe on his own and needs the help of a ventilator (say: ven-tih-lay-ter), a machine that pumps air into the lungs through a tube placed in the person's windpipe. The hospital staff also tries to prevent bedsores in someone who is comatose. Bedsores are open sores on the body that come from lying in one place for too long without moving at all.

It can be very upsetting and frustrating for a person's family to see someone they love in a coma, and they may feel scared and helpless. But there are things they can do to help take care of the person. Taking time to visit the hospital and read to, talk to, and even play music for the patient are important because it's possible that the person may be able to hear what's going on around him, even if he can't respond.

What Happens After a Coma?
Usually, a coma does not last more than a few weeks. Sometimes, however, a person stays in a coma for a long time - even years - and will be able to do very little except breathe on his own.

Most people do come out of comas, however. Some of them are able to return to the normal lives they had before they got sick. On TV, someone in a coma usually wakes up right away, looks around, and is able to think and talk normally. But in real life, this rarely happens. When a person comes out of a coma, he will often be confused and can only slowly respond to what's going on around him. It will take time for him to start feeling better.

Whether someone fully returns to normal after being in a coma depends on what caused the coma and how badly the brain may have been hurt. Sometimes people who come out of comas are just as they were before - they can remember what happened to them before the coma and can do everything they used to do. Other people may need therapy to relearn basic things like tying their shoes, eating with a fork or spoon, or learning to walk all over again. They may also have problems with speaking or remembering things.

Over time and with the help of therapists, however, many people who have been in a coma can make a lot of progress. They may not be exactly like they were before the coma, but they can do a lot of things and enjoy life with their family and friends.

Answer 5

A state of deep, often prolonged unconsciousness, usually the result of injury, disease, or poison, in which an individual is incapable of sensing or responding to external stimuli and internal needs.

Answer 6

Why, it's only the most delicious West Indian nut.