Coma

Beckham was coming from his friend’s housewarming party when his car crashed into a stationary truck. He suffered some injuries, especially to his head and was unconscious for about three months.

What is Coma?

Coma is a state of unconsciousness. In this state, the person cannot be aroused from unconsciousness and is generally not responsive to whatever is happening. Patients in a coma must be fed using a feeding tube and may require a ventilator (life support machine)to stay alive.

Causes of coma

Coma could result from direct insult to the brain or diseases affecting other parts of the body, which then impact brain function. Examples are:

1. Injury to the brain from trauma or stroke
2. A brain tumour could place pressure on the part of the brain responsible for consciousness and alertness.
3. Infections can cause the brain or spinal cord to swell up. 
4. Diseases such as diabetes and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
5. Substance intoxication (drug or alcohol): Overdose of certain drugs or alcohol.
6. Lack of oxygen that can be seen in drowning patients and patients who have had a heart attack and had to be revived.
7. Seizures
8. Poisonous substances (toxins) such as carbon monoxide 

Treatment

Before coma can be treated, there is a need to know whatever caused it in the first place. Doctors then tackle this cause. Examples of treatment methods include:

1. Giving a patient low on sugar, glucose infusion.
2. Administration of antibiotics in cases of brain infections.
3. Surgery to tackle bleeding due to trauma or removal of the brain tumour.
4. Administration of drugs to ease the effects of substance overdose. 

What could happen to an individual in a coma?

1. Recovery: Some people could recover from a coma, particularly if the root cause is known and treated accordingly.
2. Irreversible brain damage: Others could end up in a persistent coma, where they will never wake up (vegetative state).
3. Death

Meanwhile, doctors watch out for complications such as:

1. Pressure or bed sores: It happens to many of us; when you sit on a spot for so long, you start getting uncomfortable and have to adjust from time to time. But comatose patients (patients in a coma) can’t move their bodies and thus are at risk of having sores. 
2. Blood clots in the leg. Immobility reduces the blood drainage from the legs and increases the clumping of blood (clots). This could be dangerous as a clot could dislodge and go to the lungs.
3. Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Patients in a coma can’t go to the toilet to ease themselves. Thus, a piece of equipment that would help expel the urine from their body is inserted. This could increase the risk of gettingUTIs.
4. Shortening of muscles in the body leads to contortion (bending) of the body.