Coma is a state of profound, sustained unconsciousness in which a person cannot be aroused, fails to respond purposefully to stimuli, and shows no sleep-wake cycles, reflecting widespread dysfunction of the cerebral hemispheres or the brainstem reticular activating system. It is a medical emergency and a sign rather…
Coma is a state of profound, sustained unconsciousness in which a person cannot be aroused, fails to respond purposefully to stimuli, and shows no sleep-wake cycles, reflecting widespread dysfunction of the cerebral hemispheres or the brainstem reticular activating system. It is a medical emergency and a sign rather than a diagnosis, arising from diverse insults to the brain. Structural causes include traumatic brain injury and spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage, which raise intracranial pressure or directly damage arousal pathways and may require neurosurgical intervention such as craniotomy. Metabolic and toxic causes are equally important: severe derangements of glucose and other parameters in diabetic emergencies can precipitate altered consciousness, as can drug overdose, including antidepressant poisoning. Assessment combines depth-of-coma scoring, neurological examination, neuroimaging, and laboratory testing to identify the underlying cause, gauge severity, and guide management of the airway, circulation, and intracranial dynamics. Outcomes range from full recovery to persistent impairment or death and depend on aetiology, age, and the speed of treatment, which is why prognostic studies track associated factors in trauma and haemorrhage patients. Within preventive and population health, reducing coma centres on preventing its causes, including injury prevention, control of diabetes and its acute complications, and the safe use and monitoring of medications.
5 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 5 articles above have been cited 7 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Coma, linking to each citing work.