Biomaterial Database

Persistent vegetative state and brain stem death. 1997

D Bates

University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Interest in the persistent vegetative state has focused on the accuracy of diagnosis and prognosis. Retrospective studies in both adult and paediatric groups have raised questions about the most appropriate clinical methods to diagnose patients in the vegetative state and about the length of time before recovery from such a state can be regarded as hopeless. Although no absolute answers have been forthcoming, the debate engendered by the work has been informative and the need for further prospective studies is apparent. Following the publication of guidelines on the management of patients in the vegetative state, the views of physicians in the USA and Europe have been sought in relation to ethical problems and, although they highlight some areas of inconsistency, they show the potential for consensus. Clinically, the field of brain stem death is reasonably defined and consistently managed but the search for methods of technical confirmation of diagnosis continues. It is suggested that the use of magnetic resonance imaging and angiography might provide additional confirmatory evidence.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D001926	Brain Death	A state of prolonged irreversible cessation of all brain activity, including lower brain stem function with the complete absence of voluntary movements, responses to stimuli, brain stem reflexes, and spontaneous respirations. Reversible conditions which mimic this clinical state (e.g., sedative overdose, hypothermia, etc.) are excluded prior to making the determination of brain death. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp348-9)	Brain Dead,Coma Depasse,Irreversible Coma,Brain Deads,Coma, Irreversible,Death, Brain
D001933	Brain Stem	The part of the brain that connects the CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES with the SPINAL CORD. It consists of the MESENCEPHALON; PONS; and MEDULLA OBLONGATA.	Brainstem,Truncus Cerebri,Brain Stems,Brainstems,Cerebri, Truncus,Cerebrus, Truncus,Truncus Cerebrus
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D018458	Persistent Vegetative State	Vegetative state refers to the neurocognitive status of individuals with severe brain damage, in whom physiologic functions (sleep-wake cycles, autonomic control, and breathing) persist, but awareness (including all cognitive function and emotion) is abolished.	Minimally Conscious State,Permanent Vegetative State,Post-Traumatic Vegetative State,Vegetative State, Persistent,PVS (Persistent Vegetative State),Persistent Unawareness State,Post-Comatose Unawareness State,Post-Traumatic Unawareness State,Postcomatose Unawareness State,Posttraumatic Unawareness State,Prolonged Post-Traumatic Unawareness,Transient Vegetative State,Vegetative State,Minimally Conscious States,PVSs (Persistent Vegetative State),Permanent Vegetative States,Persistent Unawareness States,Persistent Vegetative States,Post Comatose Unawareness State,Post Traumatic Unawareness State,Post Traumatic Vegetative State,Post-Comatose Unawareness States,Post-Traumatic Unawareness States,Post-Traumatic Unawareness, Prolonged,Post-Traumatic Unawarenesses, Prolonged,Post-Traumatic Vegetative States,Postcomatose Unawareness States,Posttraumatic Unawareness States,Prolonged Post Traumatic Unawareness,Prolonged Post-Traumatic Unawarenesses,State, Minimally Conscious,State, Permanent Vegetative,State, Persistent Unawareness,State, Persistent Vegetative,State, Post-Comatose Unawareness,State, Post-Traumatic Unawareness,State, Post-Traumatic Vegetative,State, Postcomatose Unawareness,State, Posttraumatic Unawareness,State, Transient Vegetative,State, Vegetative,States, Minimally Conscious,States, Permanent Vegetative,States, Persistent Unawareness,States, Persistent Vegetative,States, Post-Comatose Unawareness,States, Post-Traumatic Unawareness,States, Post-Traumatic Vegetative,States, Postcomatose Unawareness,States, Posttraumatic Unawareness,States, Transient Vegetative,States, Vegetative,Transient Vegetative States,Unawareness State, Persistent,Unawareness State, Post-Comatose,Unawareness State, Post-Traumatic,Unawareness State, Postcomatose,Unawareness State, Posttraumatic,Unawareness States, Persistent,Unawareness States, Post-Comatose,Unawareness States, Post-Traumatic,Unawareness States, Postcomatose,Unawareness States, Posttraumatic,Unawareness, Prolonged Post-Traumatic,Unawarenesses, Prolonged Post-Traumatic,Vegetative State, Permanent,Vegetative State, Post-Traumatic,Vegetative State, Transient,Vegetative States,Vegetative States, Permanent,Vegetative States, Persistent,Vegetative States, Post-Traumatic,Vegetative States, Transient