Good skin care, passive joint exercises to minimise contractures, suction where necessary to help avoid aspiration, careful management of the incontinent bladder and bowel, and attention to oral and dental hygiene are all required. [patient.info]

A tracheostomy may be required to maintain airway patency and prevent aspiration pneumonia. Bladder and bowel care is desirable for hygienic reasons. [dx.doi.org]

In most patients, the gag, cough, sucking, and swallowing reflexes are preserved. Except for a lack of coordination in chewing and swallowing, gastrointestinal function remains nearly normal. [doi.org]

[…] preserved hypothalamic and brain-stem autonomic function to permit survival with medical and nursing care; (6) bowel and bladder incontinence; and (7) variably preserved cranial-nerve reflexes (pupillary, oculophalic, corneal, vestibulo-ocular, and gag [web.archive.org]

Daily skin care and frequent repositioning of the patient prevent decubitus ulcers. A tracheostomy may be required to maintain airway patency and prevent aspiration pneumonia. Bladder and bowel care is desirable for hygienic reasons. [dx.doi.org]

The prognosis is worse if there are hypothalamic disturbances producing central fever, excess sweating, disturbances in salt and water metabolism, and refractory pulmonary problems. [doi.org]

Facial swelling from prolonged administration of artificial nutrition and hydration decreases as the patient becomes progressively dehydrated; during the last few days of life, facial features may assume a more normal appearance. [dx.doi.org]

[…] cardiac arrest (n 3, 18 %, including one with attempted CPR), traumatic brain injury (n 3, 18 %), neurodegenerative conditions (n 2, 12 %), and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy due to respiratory arrest (n 3, 18 %), metabolic derangements (n 2, 12 %), and meningitis [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

View Article Google Scholar Calvet J, Coll J: Meningitis of sinusoid origin with the form of coma vigil. Rev Otoneuroophtalmol. 1959, 31: 443-445. PubMed Google Scholar Jennett B, Plum F: Persistent vegetative state after brain damage. [doi.org]

In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms) describe several potential causes of PVS, which are as follows: Bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, including meningitis Increased intracranial pressure, such as a tumor or abscess Vascular pressure which causes [en.wikipedia.org]

This situation is further complicated when patients with such disorders of consciousness have underlying deficits in the domain of verbal or non-verbal communication functions, such as aphasia, agnosia or apraxia [ 32, 33 ]. [doi.org]

Akinetic mutism is a rare syndrome characterized by pathologically slowed or nearly absent bodily movement and loss of speech 28. Wakefulness and self-awareness may be preserved, but the level of mental function is reduced. [doi.org]

Some evidence suggests a direct correlation between a post-traumatic vegetative outcome and the presence of ventilatory dysfunction, decorticate posturing, and extraneural trauma soon after the insult 55. [doi.org]

Severe rigidity and akinesia would also have locked them into a bedridden state. [dx.doi.org]

EEG findings included normal, continuous generalized slowing, intermittent generalized slowing, background slowing, background suppression, alpha, generalized periodic pattern, PLEDS, and triphasic waves. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

This may cause epileptiform changes, varying in type and extent, such as spiked triphasic waves or periodic or persistent epileptic activity ( 24 ). [tidsskriftet.no]

EEG findings included normal, continuous generalized slowing, intermittent generalized slowing, background slowing, background suppression, alpha, generalized periodic pattern, PLEDS, and triphasic waves. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

EEG findings included normal, continuous generalized slowing, intermittent generalized slowing, background slowing, background suppression, alpha, generalized periodic pattern, PLEDS… CONTINUE READING [semanticscholar.org]

There have been occasional reports of isoelectric EEGs in patients in a vegetative state 37,58,76,81,82. [doi.org]

matter lesions such as atrophy and diffuse axonal injury. [medicc.org]

Demographic data of patients in a PVS have been reported previously 2 ; causes were cardiorespiratory arrest (n 5), diffuse axonal injury (n 3), drug overdose (n 2), prolonged respiratory insufficiency (n 2), encephalitis with diffuse white matter lesions [dx.doi.org]