Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Coma”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 937 records · Page 52Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Emergency therapy of diabetic crises: insulin overdose, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperosmolar coma.

Three types of diabetic crises occur: insulin overdose, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperosmolar coma. Neurologic signs may accompany each of these syndromes, and each must be differentiated quickly by the emergency clinician so that an appropriate treatment plan can be initiated. The basic goal is to restore metabolic derangements and to stabilize the patient so that it can then be managed more routinely as an uncomplicated diabetic.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Response of a promethazine-induced coma to flumazenil.

We report the first case of a patient in a promethazine-induced coma responding to treatment with flumazenil. A literature search conducted to determine the mechanism behind the antagonism of this overdose showed that promethazine interacts with receptors in the central nervous system. Sedative effects may, in fact, be mediated through the benzodiazepine receptor. We concluded that flumazenil can antagonize the sedative effects of promethazine at these receptors to return the patient to a wakeful state.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Methodological considerations in the neuropsychological study of central nervous system underarousal with a specific emphasis on coma.

Several obstacles exist that impede the scientific study of pathological underarousal (stupor and coma). For instance, there is a lack of a clear, rational, standardized taxonomy with which to describe the phenomenon. Moreover, there is considerable confusion of the construct of arousal with other neurobehavioral constructs. The field also suffers from a general lack of acceptably reliable and valid instruments, especially measures of long-term outcome. Additionally, current treatments for chronic pathological underarousal are frequently presumptive and applied haphazardly, and thus do little to elucidate the process of recovery. It is suggested that biomedical and neuropsychological approaches to the study and treatment of pathological underarousal are complementary and that it is useful to view pathological underarousal as a behavioral, as well as a medical, phenomenon.

Arousal↗
PubMed1983

Hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic coma in the nonhuman primate: a first report.

Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in an aged bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata). Six months later the monkey was found comatose. Laboratory findings of extreme hyperglycemia, hyperosmolality, and glycosuria without ketonuria were consistent with a diagnosis of hyperosmolar, non-ketotic diabetic coma (NKC). Further laboratory studies disclosed very low levels of immunoreactive insulin and depressed free fatty acid values. Growth hormone and cortisol levels were within normal limits.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

[Dissociative stupor--differential diagnosis of coma following injury].

Two cases are described in which a dissociative stupor originating from conversion neurosis simulated a coma following a sustained trauma. At first both patients showed no response to being addressed or to pain stimuli. They presented an upward eye gaze deviation, cardiorespiratory functions were stable. Following extensive diagnostic procedures revealing no organic cause for the clinical symptoms, the diagnosis of a hysterical consciousness disorder was stated. Symptoms of conversion neuroses include lacking call response, gait disorder, seizure-like conditions and strength diminution in one or more extremities. In these cases suspicious facts are the absence of injuries (for example by falling down or tongue bite during a dissociative attack), eye gaze deviation and the phenomenon that, when the patient's arm is raised above the head and let fall, it never hits the face but glides down beside the body.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[Hyperosmolar diabetic coma without ketoacidosis in purulent meningitis (author's transl)].

Hyperosmolar diabetic coma without ketoacidosis was observed as a complication of purulent meningitis in 3 patients. Diagnostic difficulties arise due to slow onset of hyperosmolality and misinterpretation of organic cerebral fits and the increasing disturbance of consciousness. Therapy is complicated by the necessity of treatment with anticonvulsants and sodium containing antibiotics which affect sugar and sodium balance. Abrupt lowering of serum osmolality leads to further increase of cerebral oedema. Slow normalisation of blood sugar and sodium values over several days may lead to satisfactory outcome despite unconsciousness of long duration. These complications could be overcome with high doses of insulin and large amounts of hypotonic infusion in two patients, one female succumbed.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Elderly patients with severe head injury in coma from the outset--has anything changed?

Advancing age is known to be a determinant of outcome in head injury. We have sought to discover whether there has been any change in the outcome of elderly patients with severe head injury in Newcastle, where these patients have continued to be treated with maximum intervention. A review of prospectively collected data from the Newcastle Head Injury Database for the period 1990 to 2000 was carried out. All patients aged 70 years and above who had sustained a severe head injury (Glasgow Coma Score of 8 or less from the outset) were included. The Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) was determined at 6 months. Seventy-one patients were identified. Fifty-seven (80%) died and 2 (3%) were in a vegetative state, 11 (16%) had severe disability, 1 (1%) had moderate disability and no patients made a good recovery. The natural history of this condition remains unchanged and due consideration should be given to this when evaluating interventions for elderly patients with a severe head injury.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Right median nerve electrical stimulation to hasten awakening from coma.

Electrical stimulation of the right median nerve may hasten the awakening of closed head injured, comatose patients. A series of 25 comatose patients have been treated. These patients made better recoveries than similar individuals reported in the literature. In a double-blind pilot project patients in the treated group scored better on interval Glasgow Coma Scale scores, spent fewer days in the intensive care unit, and showed better Glasgow Outcome Scores at 1 month post-injury. Peripheral electrical stimulation of the right median nerve, through activation of the ascending reticular activating system, may be sufficient to arouse the moderate to severely comatose patient.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bispectral analysis of electroencephalogram signals during recovery from coma: preliminary findings.

The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of bispectral index (BIS), spectral edge frequency (SEF 95%), total power (TOTPOW) and frontal spontaneous electromyography (F-EMG) in monitoring consciousness in severely brain damaged patients. In 29 patients a total of 106 sedation-free and good quality EEG epochs were correlated with the level of consciousness as assessed by means of the Glasgow Liège Scale (GLS) and the Wessex Head Injury Matrix (WHIM). The strongest correlation with behavioural measures of consciousness was observed with BIS recordings. An empirically defined BIS cut-off value of 50 differentiated unconscious patients (coma or vegetative state) from conscious patients (minimally conscious state or emergence from minimally conscious state) with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 75%. These preliminary findings are encouraging in the search for electrophysiological correlates of consciousness in severe acute brain damage.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

The efficacy of barbiturate coma in the management of uncontrolled intracranial hypertension following neurosurgical trauma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of barbiturate therapy as an adjunctive treatment for control of intracranial hypertension when conventional methods failed. To this end, a retrospective chart review was conducted on 21 neurosurgical trauma patients with uncontrolled intracranial pressure (ICP) admitted to a trauma/intensive care unit. In this patient population, the overall mortality was 48%. Control of ICP was achieved in 67% of patients. The survival of patients experiencing ICP control with barbiturate coma was better than those patients who failed therapy (71% vs 14%, p = 0.021). Thus, in a subgroup of neurosurgical trauma patients who are refractory to conventional management of elevated ICP, barbiturates appear to improve survival, suggesting that this therapy has an important role in the management of neurotrauma patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials and the Glasgow Coma Scale as predictors of outcome in comatose patients with head injuries.

Median nerve somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) grades and Glasgow Coma Scale (GSC) scores were obtained from 51 patients with head injuries within 1 week after the injury to determine the relationship of these scores, both individually and combined, to outcome scores obtained more than 6 months after the injury. SSEP grading was based on the presence or absence of the cortical evoked potential, the amplitude of the early cortically generated P22 wave form, and the conduction time through the brain (P/N13-N20 interpeak latency). SSEP responses from both sides of the brain were combined and graded from 1 to 6. The GCS was graded without the verbal component (maximum score, 10), because all patients were intubated. All patients were unresponsive to commands. Median SSEP grades correlated better with Glasgow Outcome Scale and Barthel Index scores (R = 0.57 and 0.64, respectively; P less than 0.00001) than GCS scores did (R = 0.35 and 0.37, respectively, P less than 0.00001), and combining SSEP grades and GCS scores did not improve the predictive power of the model (R = 0.57 and 0.64, respectively; P less than 0.00001). All SSEP Grade 1 patients (n = 13) either died or remained in a vegetative state. In contrast, all SSEP Grade 6 patients (n = 7) had a moderate disability or good recovery. This study demonstrates the prognostic value of early quantitative median nerve SSEP grading for patients with head injuries who are unresponsive to commands within 1 week after the injury.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1997

Development of a modified paediatric coma scale in intensive care clinical practice.

James' adaptation of the Glasgow coma scale (JGCS) was designed for young children. Intubated patients are not allocated a verbal score, however, so important changes in a patient's conscious level may be missed. A grimace score was therefore developed and assessed for use in intubated children. Two observers made a JGCS observation within 15 minutes of each other. One observer was the patient's nurse and the other a trained investigator. Interobserver reliability was determined between the first and second observation for each component of the scale. Reliability was measured using kappa and weighted kappa statistics. Seventy three children had 104 sets of observations. Interobserver reliability was moderate to good for all components, with the grimace score better than the verbal score. It is concluded that the grimace score is more reliable than the verbal score and may be useful in intubated patients in whom the verbal score cannot be used.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The combined monitoring of brain stem auditory evoked potentials and intracranial pressure in coma. A study of 57 patients.

Continuous monitoring of brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) was carried out in 57 comatose patients for periods ranging from 5 hours to 13 days. In 53 cases intracranial pressure (ICP) was also simultaneously monitored. The study of relative changes of evoked potentials over time proved more relevant to prognosis than the mere consideration of "statistical normality" of waveforms; thus progressive degradation of the BAEPs was associated with a bad outcome even if the responses remained within normal limits. Contrary to previous reports, a normal BAEP obtained during the second week of coma did not necessarily indicate a good vital outcome; it could, however, do so in cases with a low probability of secondary insults. The simultaneous study of BAEPs and ICP showed that apparently significant (greater than 40 mm Hg) acute rises in ICP were not always followed by BAEP changes. The stability of BAEP's despite "significant" ICP rises was associated in our patients with a high probability of survival, while prolongation of central latency of BAEPs in response to ICP modifications was almost invariably followed by brain death. Continuous monitoring of brainstem responses provided a useful physiological counterpart to physical parameters such as ICP. Serial recording of cortical EPs should be added to BAEP monitoring to permit the early detection of rostrocaudal deterioration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Non-ketotic hyperosmolar diabetic pre-coma due to pancreatitis in a boy on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

An unusual case of diabetes secondary to acute pancreatitis in a boy with end-stage renal failure receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is described. A hyperglycaemic, hyperosmolar pre-coma developed, aggravated by associated hypercalcaemia. The glucose content of the dialysis fluid contributed to the hyperglycaemia, which settled as the pancreatitis resolved and lower glucose concentration dialysis fluid was used. Our experience suggests that pancreatic dysfunction should be considered where significant hyperglycaemia occurs during peritoneal dialysis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1980

Hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic coma -- less sodium in therapy?

Eighteen patients with hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic coma were studied retrospectively to identify factors affecting prognosis and to review treatment. This condition affected older women two-thirds of whom were unrecognised diabetics. Eight (44%) died. Mortality correlated with age above 60, uraemia and hyperosmolarity, but not with the degree or rate of fall of hyperglycaemia. Hyperglycaemia responded to rehydration and insulin, but in all patients serum osmolarity remained high for several days. In 14 patients (78%) the serum sodium concentration initially increased and in four (22%) serum osmolarity increased. This persistence or worsening of the hyperosmolar state can be avoided without the risk of cerebral oedema by replacing the fluid and electrolyte deficits over 48 hours and using 5% dextrose for the water deficit.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Predictive value of sensory and cognitive evoked potentials for awakening from coma.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prognostic role of late auditory (N100) and cognitive evoked potentials (MMN) for awakening in a cohort of comatose patients categorized by etiology. METHODS: The authors prospectively studied a series of 346 comatose patients. Coma was caused by stroke (n = 125), trauma (n = 96), anoxia (n = 64), complications of neurosurgery (n = 54), and encephalitis (n = 7). Patients were followed for 12 months and classified as awake or unawake. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using regression logistic and Cox models. RESULTS: Pupillary light reflex, N100, middle-latency auditory evoked potentials, age, and etiology were the most discriminating factors for awakening. Statistical analysis showed that pupillary reflex was the strongest prognostic variable for awakening (estimated probability 79.7%). The estimated probability of awakening rose to 87% when N100 was present and to 89.9% when middle-latency evoked potentials (MLAEPs) were present. It was 13.7% when pupillary reflex was absent in anoxic patients. When MMN was present, 88.6% of patients awakened. No patient in whom MMN was present became permanently vegetative. CONCLUSION: Pupillary reflex is the strongest prognostic variable, followed by N100 and MLAEPs allowing a reliable model for awakening. The presence of MMN is a predictor of awakening and precludes comatose patients from moving to a permanent vegetative state. Evaluation of primary sensory cortex and higher-order processes by middle-latency-, late, and cognitive evoked potentials should be performed in the prognosis for awakening in comatose patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Low-dose dopamine treatment of patients in nonketotic hyperosmolar hyperglycemic coma].

In the acute neurosurgical setting, nonketotic hyperosmolar hyperglycemic coma (NHC) is thought to be caused by cerebral dehydration therapy and administration of steroids, glycerol, or mannitol. The mortality of this complication is reportedly very high, and is due to acute renal and/or cardiac failure. The authors evaluated the effect of low-dose dopamine (LDD; 1 to 5 micrograms/kg/min) administration in 10 patients with this syndrome. LDD was given to five patients. In these cases, hypovolemia was treated under central venous pressure monitoring with an iso-osmolar hyponatremic lactate solution given in a volume greater than the urine output. After the hypovolemia was corrected, the fluid was administered in a volume equal to the urine output until the serum osmolarity was normalized. In the five patients not given LDD, a large quantity of hypotonic solution was rapidly administered. In all patients treated with LDD, the urinary sodium increased and the urinary output stabilized. Consequently, the excess urea-nitrogen and serum sodium were quite easily washed out. The total net intake volume for the normalization of serum osmolarity was small and the duration of treatment was much shorter than that of patients not treated with LDD. The LDD regimen was not associated with complications, such as aggravation of cerebral edema, renal failure, or cardiac failure. On the other hand, three of the five patients not given LDD died of acute renal and/or cardiac failure without normalization of laboratory data. It is emphasized that this therapy, which results in beta-effect of catecholamine, sodium diuresis, and increased renal blood flow, is a practical means of managing acute neurosurgical cases complicated by NHC.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Transient alpha coma following minor head trauma in a patient with primitive trigeminal artery.

A 26-year-old male presented with transient alpha coma following minor head trauma after a traffic accident. His consciousness disturbance suddenly recovered 3.5 hours later. He had not suffered cardiac arrest before admission, nor was taking any drugs. Magnetic resonance (MR) angiography 6.5 hours after consciousness recovery disclosed persistent primitive trigeminal artery (PTA) with minor segmental narrowings. Three months later, MR angiography revealed that both the PTA and the distal basilar artery were slightly diated without evidence of narrowing. Conventional angiography and single photon emission computed tomography revealed that the distal basilar artery was supplied mainly by the PTA. Transient circulatory disturbance due to traumatic angiospasm of the PTA may have caused hypoperfusion of the upper brainstem in this patient.

Adult↗