What is state of Coma ?
A coma is a severe kind of unconsciousness with numerous potential causes. Sometimes a patient needs to be put into a coma in order to protect them from painful or serious effects. This might be required if the patient has a major illness, an infection, or a traumatic incident like a head injury.
- A person in a coma does not respond to outside stimuli and does not exhibit typical reflex actions.
- Sleep and waking cycles do not exist in comas.
- Intoxication from drugs or alcohol, illnesses of the central nervous system, infections, and strokes are some causes of comas.
- The onset of a coma can be sudden or gradual, and its duration can range from a few days to many months, though it often lasts just a few days or a few weeks.
Causes of Coma :
1. Diabetes: Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, respectively, are conditions in which a diabetic blood sugar levels occasionally rise or fall excessively. A coma may develop if either of these conditions persists for too long.
2. Hypoxia : Hypoxia or a shortage of oxygen, can result in a coma if the brains oxygen supply is compromised or interrupted, as can happen during a heart attack, stroke, or near-drowning occurrence.
3. Infections: A coma can develop as a result of severe inflammation of the CNS or the tissues surrounding the brain, which are referred to as encephalitis and meningitis, respectively.
4. Overdosing on drugs and toxins: exposure to carbon monoxide can cause coma and brain damage.
5. Brain Injuries: Road traffic accidents, sports injuries, and violent attacks can all cause traumatic brain injury.
What treatment can be given ?
One of the therapy possibilities is to give:
1. glucose, in case the person is in diabetic shock or has a brain infection, even before the results of blood tests are known.
2. naloxone (Narcan), if severe intoxication is likely to be the cause of the coma.
3. vitamin B1, which can result in a deficiency if a person has an alcohol use disorder.