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The prognosis of medical coma

Lookup NU author(s): Emeritus Professor David Bates

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Abstract

The assessment of patients in coma is a medical emergency. The cause should be identified and, where possible, corrected and the brain provided with appropriate protection to reduce further damage. It then becomes important to identify those patients for whom flip prognosis is hopeless and in whom the institution or persistence of resuscitative measures is inappropriate, serving only to prolong the anguish of relatives and carets. It is frequently the neurologist to whom the physicians turn, to establish the prognosis of the individual in coma. It is therefore important that the neurologist in training develops a system whereby he or she can reasonably and accurately determine those factors which help in identifying prognosis and thereby provide reasonable advice to colleagues, paramedical staff, and the relatives and friends of the patient.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Bates D

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry

Year: 2001

Volume: 71

Issue: s1

Pages: 20-23

ISSN (print): 0022-3050

ISSN (electronic):

Publisher: BMJ Group

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.71.suppl_1.i20

DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.71.suppl_1.i20

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