The persistent vegetative state – General considerations
The persistent vegetative state is a clinical condition of complete unawareness of the self and the environment accompanied by sleep-wake cycles with either complete or partial preservation of hypothalamic and brainstem autonomic functions. It usually follows the coma and it means that due to extens...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Amaltea Medical Publishing House
2011-09-01
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| Series: | Romanian Journal of Neurology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://rjn.com.ro/articles/2011.3/RJN_2011_3_Art-04.pdf |
| Summary: | The persistent vegetative state is a clinical condition of complete unawareness of the self and the environment accompanied by sleep-wake cycles with either complete or partial preservation of hypothalamic and brainstem autonomic functions. It usually follows the coma and it means that due to extensive and irrevocable brain damage a patients is highly unlikely ever to achieve higher functions above a vegetative state. This state does not mean that improvement is impossible, but does open the possibility for a judicial request to end life support.
The authors wish to highlight the causes, diagnosis, management and ethical considerations about this condition in our country. |
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| ISSN: | 1843-8148 2069-6094 |