What is and what are reasons for a medically induced coma?

[soleft]

The 11th victim of the Staten Island ferry died. This article says she was heavilly sedated since the accident (she lost both legs) but I read else where it phrased as a medically induced coma

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/146507p-129412c.html

[mainer]

1. Usually induced by barbiturates

There may be better longterm chances of neurological recovery after head trauma or near-drowning if a coma is temporarily induced, usually with barbiturates. It reduces the brain's metabolic demands and decreases intracranial pressure.

[LynneSin]

2. Reason: Because the Supreme Court just made you president

sorry - it had to be done

:D

[Loonman]

3. When conjoined twins are joined at the head, they do it

When seperated, it helps prevent seizures.

[demnan]

4. It's done to prevent brain damage

when body temperatures go too low. (Children falling into freezing water, for instance). It doesn't seem as effective with adults.

Don't ask how I know, I just must have heard this on T.V. or something.

[supernova]

5. Yes, usually to prevent swelling of the brain

so they induce a coma to slow down brain activity (and blood flow); and give the brain a chance to heal without the added drag of normal daily activity.

And sometimes injuries are so severe that they don't want you moving around a lot. Or they just have to give you massive doeses of meds that it's better if you'r knocked out.

[never cry wolf]

6. They did that to my wife

She has streptococcal pneumonia, we checker her into the hospital on Christmas day 5 years ago. Went to visit the next day and she was in intensive care where she stayed the next 31 days in an induced coma. The reason is that she had to be on a repirator, at first a tube down her throat and later via a trach. I guess patients tend to panic when something is breathing for them and they tend to try to rip the tube out. The doc also said if she were awake she would be in total agony.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. The medical thinking is that it reduces brain swelling, but

it is also true that living like that is not something that you want to remember. It is best, they have found from long-term studies, that people who have little or no memory of their time in ICU do much better re-adjusting to life later.