Vegetative state

Vegetative state
SpecialtyNeurology

A vegetative state (VS) or post-coma unresponsiveness (PCU)[1] is a disorder of consciousness in which patients with severe brain damage are in a state of partial arousal rather than true awareness. After four weeks in a vegetative state, the patient is classified as being in a persistent vegetative state (PVS). This diagnosis is classified as a permanent vegetative state some months (three in the US and six in the UK) after a non-traumatic brain injury or one year after a traumatic injury. The term unresponsive wakefulness syndrome may be used alternatively,[2] as "vegetative state" has some negative connotations among the public.[3]

  1. ^ "Coma and brain injury". Synapse.org.
  2. ^ Kang, Xiao-gang; Li, Li; Wei, Dong; Xu, Xiao-xia; Zhao, Rui; Jing, Yun-yun; Su, Ying-ying; Xiong, Li-ze; Zhao, Gang; Jiang, Wen (2014). "Development of a simple score to predict outcome for unresponsive wakefulness syndrome". Critical Care. 18 (1): R37. doi:10.1186/cc13745. ISSN 1364-8535. PMC 4056750. PMID 24571596.
  3. ^ Laureys S, Celesia GG, Cohadon F, Lavrijsen J, León-Carrión J, Sannita WG, et al. (November 2010). "Unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: a new name for the vegetative state or apallic syndrome". BMC Medicine. 8: 68. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-8-68. PMC 2987895. PMID 21040571.