After Michael Schumacher suffered a brain injury in a skiing accident on December 29, 2013, he was put into a medically induced coma. One month later, doctors began the gradual process of waking him up. His wife Corinna is by his side talking to him for several hours every day, because it may help rouse him. So far, he is showing some reflexes, but does not seem to be responding to deliberate stimuli.
Medically Induced Coma in Brain Injury Patients
A medically induced coma is used to minimize damage in brain injury patients. The coma shuts down many brain functions, reducing blood flow, and therefore minimizing swelling and pressure in the brain. It protects areas of the brain where blood flow is reduced, due to the injury, by minimizing the amount of energy these areas use.
Reversing a Medically Induced Coma
Reversing a medically induced coma is not instantaneous. It is a gradual and delicate process. The anesthesia used to cause the coma is gradually reduced, while at the same time the drugs which have been stored in body fat are released and eliminated from the body. The process can take days or even weeks, and the amount of time it will take for any patient cannot be predicted.
Waking up is a slow process, and it can be terrifying and frustrating for loved ones. Patients will typically start showing reflex twitches, then eventually open their eyes. After they open their eyes they will begin to respond to pain, and finally to respond to simple commands to establish communication, such as blinking or squeezing a hand.
