What You Need to Know about Comas

When your loved one is in a coma, it can be hard to accept all the health implications and risks that come with such a prognosis. You may ask: Why did this happen? How long will the coma last? What can I do?

This feeling of desperation is not one that any person wants to go through. No one wants to see their family member or loved one suffer. You need support. You want answers. We at the Brain Injury Law Center understand this and want to help as much as we can. Contact us at (757) 244-7000 if you or a loved one have been affected by the hardships and financial setbacks associated with comas.

If you’ve experienced a coma and have seen your quality of life decline, you know firsthand how difficult it is to recover from a brain injury. It’s not only the setback to your health that has caused prolonged suffering, but emotional and financial hardships as well.

Who Are Virginia’s Brain Injury Lawyers?

The Brain Injury Law Center is your source of information and support when it comes to anything related to brain injuries and the terrible effects they can cause. A brain injury can change someone’s life and the lives of those around them.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury that resulted in a coma, discuss your case with a personal injury attorney who can help you understand your legal rights and options. Contact our law firm today for a free case evaluation by calling us toll-free at (757) 244-7000.

What Are Common Coma Victim Characteristics?

While each coma case is different, there are several brain coma symptoms and characteristics that can be experienced. For instance, the coma victim:

• May appear to be “asleep” because they cannot be awakened or alerted
• May be unable to move or respond
• Might respond minimally or even not at all to stimuli, including painful stimuli
• Can show various levels of non-purposeful movements
• Will be unable to communicate or speak

While in a coma, a person can continue to heal and progress through different states of consciousness. Persons who sustain a severe brain injury and experience a coma can make significant improvements. However, they can often be left with permanent physical, cognitive or behavioral impairments. In such cases, the person or parties responsible for the incident or accident that caused the coma may need to be held legally liable for their negligence and misconduct.

What Types of Comas Are There?

What many people might not understand is that there are several different types of comas. These are categorized based on several factors, including the victim’s level of response and interaction, and the amount of damage to the brain.

Vegetative State (VS)

A vegetative state (VS) describes a severe brain injury in which arousal in the person is present, but the ability to interact with the environment is not. A person in this state may open their eyes spontaneously or in response to stimulation. General responses to pain exist, such as increased heart rate, increased respiration, or sweating. There is no test to specifically diagnose vegetative state; the diagnosis is made only by repetitive neurobehavioral assessments.

Minimally Responsive State (MR)

A minimally responsive state (MR) is when a person with a severe traumatic brain injury is no longer in a coma or a vegetative state. A person in this state may demonstrate primitive reflexes and an awareness of environmental stimulation, but an inconsistent ability to follow simple commands.

Akinetic Mutism

Akinetic mutism is a neurobehavioral condition that results when pathways in the brain are damaged. This results in minimal amount of body movement, little or no spontaneous speech, and infrequent and incomplete ability to follow command. It is often connected with specific medical conditions such as a stroke.

Akinetic mutism is different from a minimally responsive state because the lack of movement and speech with akinetic mutism is not due to neuromuscular disturbance.

Locked-in Syndrome

Locked-in syndrome is a rare neurological condition in which a person is conscious and able to think, but cannot physically move any part of the body except the eyes. Vertical eye movements and eye blinking can be used to communicate with others and operate environmental controls.

Brain Death

Brain death can result from a very severe injury to the brain. When brain death occurs, the brain shows no sign of functioning. The physician performs a specific formal brain death examination. In certain instances, the condition may ultimately lead to a wrongful death lawsuit.

How Does Coma Treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Work?

After receiving emergency medical treatment, a person suffering from a severe brain injury and coma may be admitted to a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. The goals in the ICU include achieving medical stability, medical management, and prevention of medical crisis.

What Are Possible Tests and Assessments for Comas?

As each person is an individual, the tests and assessments selected by the healthcare professionals may differ from person to person. Possible tests and assessments that may be used are described below:

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

An EEG detects electrical brain abnormalities, such as seizures. Testing involves placing small metal discs, called electrodes, on a person’s scalp.

X-rays

X-rays are a type of picture taken to check the structural integrity of the internal body parts such as bones and the organs. X-rays are also used to evaluate the placement of tubes, such as feeding tubes, in the stomach.

To take an x-ray, a camera is focused on the body area to be examined and a picture is taken. X-rays are vital to monitoring a person’s status while they are in a coma state.

CT or CAT Scan (Computed Tomography Scan)

CT scans are used to view harm to brain structures, the skull, and facial bones. CT scans are a good detector of bleeding, blood clots, swelling or compression in the brain. CT scans take pictures of the brain in layers, so it produces images in the form of “slices” that make up the brain, like the slices that make up a loaf of bread. Not all types of brain injuries show up on CT scans. To take a CT scan, a camera is focused on the area to be examined and the pictures are taken.

Experiencing a coma can be a scary experience for the victim and their families. It can also present several challenges that require the assistance of a compassionate legal professional.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

An MRI uses an imaging technique to provide a more detailed view of the brain structure than CT scans. A MRI is advantageous for examination of the brainstem and cerebellum structure (deep brain structures), since these views can be limited on a CT scan.

Other types of tests might include:

• Arterial Blood Gas (ABG)
• Electrolytes Angiogram
• Spect Scan
• Neurological Exam
• Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
• Rancho Los Amigos Scale

How Can Filing a Lawsuit Help?

Being comatose for any period of time presents serious challenges and hardships for the victim and their loved ones. In many cases, standard insurance might not cover all the different expenses this type of situation can cause. For instance, they may require permanent, ongoing treatment, and will probably have lost income during their recovery period.

Pursuing legal action can help provide the victim and their families with the financial support they need to build their life back after such a traumatic experience. The amount of recovery available often depends on the skill, abilities, and resources of the attorney handling the case.