Ethical aspects of dealing with coma patients

The number of patients who survive severe brain injury increased due to progress in neurosurgery and intensive care. To establish a proper prognosis on the coma stage and the possible potential of remission is difficult in many cases. The treatment of patients in chronic coma leads to economic and e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWiener medizinische Wochenschrift Vol. 159; no. 17-18; p. 457
Main Author Ungersböck, Karl
Format Journal Article
LanguageGerman
Published Austria 01.09.2009
Subjects
Brain - pathology
Brain Death - classification
Brain Death - diagnosis
Diagnostic Imaging
Ethics, Medical
Humans
Persistent Vegetative State - classification
Persistent Vegetative State - diagnosis
Prognosis
Quadriplegia - classification
Quadriplegia - diagnosis
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Summary:The number of patients who survive severe brain injury increased due to progress in neurosurgery and intensive care. To establish a proper prognosis on the coma stage and the possible potential of remission is difficult in many cases. The treatment of patients in chronic coma leads to economic and ethical problems. Progress in functional radiology may help to obtain a proper prognosis in future. While numerous issues deal with ethical aspects in case of brain death only few do so with treatment decisions in chronic coma patients.
ISSN:1563-258X
DOI:10.1007/s10354-009-0704-6