Question for the nurses in here

[mick_dundee]

Been hearing a bit about people being put into induced comas of late, just wondering what the difference is between induced and non induced. Obviously the latter usually involves a fairly traumatic head injury or some such thing, but what makes an induced coma safer than the non induced variety?

[sneakypete]

to my understanding (mum is a recovery & orthopaedic sister) an induced coma is basically the doc putting you into a really really deep sleep and it allows the body the chance to repair itself from the trauma...but saves you having to be conscious- coz its gonna be painful, and you might end up hurting yourself more. they can often (though not always) bring you out of the coma with certain drugs that they use (dunno what they are).

non induced coma is the body's response to significant trauma - you dont have a choice, it is in shutdown mode so it can repair itself. when the time is right, your body should let you come back and join the land of the conscious.

i think some of that is right....

[Neka79]

yea... sneaky sounds on the money.... i kno a few ppl who have been induced... so they can controll healing, drug levels,heart rate etc...

[mick_dundee]

That was pretty much my understanding too, the part I don't understand is that usually if someone ends up in a non induced coma they end up with brain damage, some far worse than others obviously but why don't they in an induced coma?

[MickLC]

That was pretty much my understanding too, the part I don't understand is that usually if someone ends up in a non induced coma they end up with brain damage, some far worse than others obviously but why don't they in an induced coma?

Cause and effect...the non-induced coma is a result of a brain injury, therefore there is brain damage. An induced coma is just like a really deep sleep, so as long as the brain is still getting oxygen it won't get damaged

[mike-s]

My interpretation on reading pete's reply i thought that was that they got a big injury, be it head or body, and the body shuts down as a response. that is where the risk of brain injury was, at least that's my impression. I could be wrong though.

[Black Magic]

Sneaky Pete is on the money.

I am a vet nurse- but same rules apply.

[JetPilot]

Well, I put myself in an induced coma on the weekend..... mmmm Induced coma.
That was Friday. I came out on Monday arvo.. minus a lot of cash and brain cells.

[craig]

Well, I put myself in an induced coma on the weekend..... mmmm Induced coma.
That was Friday. I came out on Monday arvo.. minus a lot of cash and brain cells.

THAT'S A SELF ABUSE COMA !!!!!!!!

[I-K]

An induced coma is just like a really deep sleep, so as long as the brain is still getting oxygen it won't get damaged

Quoth Dr. Nick: "Say, when you were in that coma, did you feel your brain getting damaged?"

[Neka79]

Well, I put myself in an induced coma on the weekend..... mmmm Induced coma.
That was Friday. I came out on Monday arvo.. minus a lot of cash and brain cells.

THAT'S A SELF ABUSE COMA !!!!!!!!

nope.. a "self abuse" coma is caused by excessive masterbation!!


i have proof...

i saw Stce's medical records