An artificial coma is a condition in which a patient is administered solely for medical reasons. A similar procedure is intended to treat certain diseases and brain injuries.
Artificial coma: is it dangerous?
Of course, like any other procedure, introducing patients into such a condition is associated with some risk. But this kind of coma is a process that is almost completely controlled by doctors. In most cases, patients successfully return to life.
Artificial coma and indications for its implementation
As already mentioned, in this condition, patients are administered solely for medical reasons. As a rule, a similar procedure is used to treat certain brain injuries:
- For example, quite often this method is used in the presence of extensive cerebral hemorrhages, which are accompanied by severe edema and tissue compression.
- In some cases, patients who need a series of complex operations are injected into an artificial coma - the patient transfers all the procedures much easier, being in a similar state.
- Sometimes this technique is used by neurosurgeons, especially if the patient needs complex surgical treatment. In such cases, the procedure is much easier, as well as the rehabilitation period - the chance of success of the operation is higher.
- In some cases, an artificial coma is used to remove a patient from a severe epileptic status, especially if all other methods of therapy do not work.
- Recently, someone has been used to treat rabies. A similar technique is currently at the experimental stage. However, recent studies have yielded good results. It is worth recalling that until recently, rabies (in the absence of appropriate treatment in the first few days after infection) did not respond to treatment, it was accompanied by severe damage to the brain.
Artificial coma: how is the procedure?
To introduce patients to this condition, two methods are used:
- the introduction of anesthetics into the blood - in most cases barbiturates are used;
- gradual cooling of the body to thirty-three degrees (rarely used).
Once again, it is worth recalling that this process is constantly monitored by doctors. The work of the circulatory and respiratory systems is supported with the help of special medications or devices.
During a coma, changes occur in the human body. Used anesthetics slow down blood circulation in the brain, as a result of which the metabolic rate decreases, the vessels narrow. Thus, edema of nerve tissues gradually disappears, intracranial pressure decreases . This technique prevents the development of tissue necrosis and gives the body time for natural recovery.
As soon as the main symptoms of the disease or the consequences of the injury disappear, the doctor prescribes a series of studies, the results of which make a decision to withdraw the patient from the above condition.
Artificial coma: consequences
As already mentioned, such a method of treatment involves some risk. However, the chances of success are high. After anesthesia, the patient has to go through a rehabilitation period. Restoring normal body functions may take some time. Some people recovered from the disease throughout the year. During this period, the patient is required to regularly undergo research and appropriate treatment.