Man "in coma" for 23 years was actually conscious
Discussion
Jesus, 23 YEARS!!! Poor b
d.The stuff my nightmares are made of:
"Car crash victim trapped in 'coma' for 23 years was conscious
Paralysed patient could not move or communicate with doctors until Belgian neurologist tested new brain scanner
For 23 years Rom Houben was trapped in his own body, unable to communicate with his doctors or family. They presumed he was in a vegetative state following a near-fatal car crash in 1983.
But then doctors used a state-of-the-art scanning system on the brain of the martial arts enthusiast, which showed it was functioning almost normally.
"I had dreamed myself away," said Houben, now 46, whose real "state" was discovered three years ago and has just been made public by the doctor who rescued him.
Steven Laureys, a neurologist at the University of Liège in Belgium, has published a scientific paper saying Houben could be one of many falsely diagnosed coma cases around the world.
Houben is being cared for at a facility near Brussels and now communicates via a computer with a special keyboard activated with his right hand, which is capable of minimal movement. He said his body was paralysed when he came round after his accident. Although he could hear every word his doctors spoke, he could not communicate with them.
"I screamed, but there was nothing to hear," he said, via his keyboard.
Houben then suffered years of being effectively trapped in his own body as care personnel and doctors at the hospital in Zolder tried to communicate with him, but eventually gave up hope that he would ever come round.
The moment it was discovered he was not in a vegetative state, said Houben, it was like being born again. "I'll never forget the day that they discovered me, it was my second birth."
Experts say Laureys' findings are likely to reopen the debate over when the decision should be made to terminate the lives of those in comas who appear to be unconscious but might have almost fully-functioning brains.
Belgian doctors used an internationally accepted scale to monitor Houben's state over the years. Known as the Glasgow Coma Scale, it requires assessment of the eyes, verbal and motor responses. But they failed to assess him correctly and missed signs that his brain was still functioning.
Laureys, who is head of the coma science group and neurology department at Liège University hospital, concluded coma patients are diagnosed falsely "on a disturbingly regular basis". In around 40% of cases diagnosed as vegetative, more careful examination shows there is still some level of consciousness. He examined 44 patients believed to be in a vegetative state, and found that 18 of them responded to communication.
"Once someone is labelled as being without consciousness, it is very hard to get rid of that," he told Spiegel magazine, calling for a systematic overhaul of the methods of diagnosis.
Laureys said patients who are not fully unconscious can often be treated and are capable of making considerable progress.
Around a fifth of patients who suffer serious head and brain injuries spend more than three weeks in a coma. Of those, between 15% and 25% are, technically speaking, still alive but remain in a state of unconsciousness, never to wake up."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/23/man-tr...
I guess this is similar to locked-in syndrome? Certainly the stuff of nightmares, god help the poor man.
Once saw a documentary about a chap who was 'locked-in' and his friends persevered with him until he could communicate with his eyes which picked out letters on a board. The delayed eureka moment came when the guy spelt out 'thermostat' when he saw his the brow of the friend by the bedside perspire. It took a couple of days for the friend to realise what the random looking collection of words which apparently spelt the sentence "the most at" actually meant.
Once saw a documentary about a chap who was 'locked-in' and his friends persevered with him until he could communicate with his eyes which picked out letters on a board. The delayed eureka moment came when the guy spelt out 'thermostat' when he saw his the brow of the friend by the bedside perspire. It took a couple of days for the friend to realise what the random looking collection of words which apparently spelt the sentence "the most at" actually meant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diving_Bell_and_t...
After lending them out I'm on my sixth copy of his book which is a truly inspirational story.
Nest time you stub your toe and get really pissed off, read a book like this!
After lending them out I'm on my sixth copy of his book which is a truly inspirational story.
Nest time you stub your toe and get really pissed off, read a book like this!
Pesty said:
Yep, exactly what I thought as well.Poor bloke, puts a lot of things into perspective.
This raises a new dilemma.
Discovering the patient has been conscious, perhaps for decades does little to cure his situation. He is just as trapped in a totally disabled body.
In this case it has been possible to provide a means of communication. In other cases, it may not.
This patient has apparently retained his sanity. Unless the patient develops good mental coping strategies this is unlikely.
Unless there is a way to cure the paralysis all we have done is become aware of the plight. Formerly we believed the patient not to be suffering because they were unconscious. Now we become aware that the patient is experiencing the worst suffering imaginable.
We have three options; do nothing, remove the consciousness by inducing coma, or removing life itself, possibly with the patient aware of what we are doing. It may be necessary to do one of these three without being able to establish the patient’s wishes or obtaining consent.
The legal position varies from country to country but generally the establishing of consciousness moves the case from the position of switching off the machine of a brain dead person to one of euthanasia of the severely disabled, perhaps without obtaining consent.
Yet most people would dread being trapped or being next of kin to one who is trapped without the possibility of the release of death.
We need to revise legislation to deal with this situation.
Discovering the patient has been conscious, perhaps for decades does little to cure his situation. He is just as trapped in a totally disabled body.
In this case it has been possible to provide a means of communication. In other cases, it may not.
This patient has apparently retained his sanity. Unless the patient develops good mental coping strategies this is unlikely.
Unless there is a way to cure the paralysis all we have done is become aware of the plight. Formerly we believed the patient not to be suffering because they were unconscious. Now we become aware that the patient is experiencing the worst suffering imaginable.
We have three options; do nothing, remove the consciousness by inducing coma, or removing life itself, possibly with the patient aware of what we are doing. It may be necessary to do one of these three without being able to establish the patient’s wishes or obtaining consent.
The legal position varies from country to country but generally the establishing of consciousness moves the case from the position of switching off the machine of a brain dead person to one of euthanasia of the severely disabled, perhaps without obtaining consent.
Yet most people would dread being trapped or being next of kin to one who is trapped without the possibility of the release of death.
We need to revise legislation to deal with this situation.
Edited by Uncle Fester on Tuesday 24th November 07:57
I know it's wrong but...
Daily Mash
Jesus how many edits and it just doesn't work!
Daily Mash
Jesus how many edits and it just doesn't work!
Edited by paddyhasneeds on Wednesday 25th November 12:44
paddyhasneeds said:
I know it's wrong but...
Daily Mash
Jesus how many edits and it just doesn't work!
It's still in the main headlines on the home page - saw this the other day, one of their very best efforts!Daily Mash
Jesus how many edits and it just doesn't work!
Edited by paddyhasneeds on Wednesday 25th November 12:44
paddyhasneeds said:
I know it's wrong but...
Daily Mash
Jesus how many edits and it just doesn't work!
do you suppose it might have something to do with a certain word in the address? similar to "ship" ?Daily Mash
Jesus how many edits and it just doesn't work!
Edited by paddyhasneeds on Wednesday 25th November 12:44
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