Table of contents:
- What is a comma like?
- Coma does not mean dead
- Patients in a coma still need to eat and drink
- How do comatose patients eat and drink?
- What to do when visiting a comatose patient
What comes to your mind first when you hear the word comma? Most people will probably describe a coma as a condition of unconsciousness, aka long sleep due to certain diseases. As you know, people who are sleeping certainly cannot eat and drink until they wake up. So, what about comatose patients? How do comatose patients eat and drink? Relax, find the answer in the following review.
What is a comma like?
Simply put, coma is a condition of losing consciousness over a long period of time. Coma can be caused by many things, including injury or trauma to the head, nervous system disease, metabolic disease, infection, or stroke.
These things can cause swelling or bleeding in parts of the brain. As a result, the pressure in the cavity of the head increases and blocks the flow of oxygen-filled blood to the brain. This condition makes a person lose consciousness and fall into a coma.
Coma does not mean dead
People who are in a coma cannot move all parts of their body, from the eyes, ears, mouth, hands, to their feet. They also cannot respond to pain, light, or sound.
However, it should be noted that a person who is in a coma does not mean that their brain is no longer functioning, aka dead. People who are in a coma are still alive, but are unable to respond normally to their surroundings.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), comatose patients usually only grimace, smile, or cry as a reflex.
Patients in a coma still need to eat and drink
Humans need to eat and drink to meet their nutritional needs every day. Especially if you are sick, you certainly need more food intake so that your body recovers and heals quickly.
This also applies to people who are in a coma. Even if they are unconscious, comatose patients still need food and drink intake so that their body organs function properly.
But the question is, how do comatose patients eat and drink? In fact, you certainly know that a comatose patient looks like he is asleep so it is not possible to eat or drink.
The explanation is this. Coma is a serious medical condition and needs to be monitored regularly. That is why doctors and other medical teams will always ensure that the patient's respiratory system and blood circulation are running properly so that the amount of oxygen to the patient's brain remains stable.
How do comatose patients eat and drink?
The way comatose patients eat and drink is certainly not the same as other normal people. Since the comatose patient cannot swallow or chew, food or drink is given in other forms.
Patients in a coma eat and drink through intravenous fluids that are inserted into their veins. The intravenous fluids contain electrolytes, which consist of salt or other substances, to prevent comatose patients from starvation or dehydration.
Depending on the patient's condition, the doctor may also make a nasogastric tube to allow the comatose patient to eat and drink. This nasogastric tube is inserted through the nose, then down the throat, and ends in the stomach to drain fluids and nutrients into the patient's body.
However, this type of tube can only be used for 1-4 weeks. If it is more than 4 weeks old, the nasogastric tube will usually be replaced with a PEG tube.
PEG hose or Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastronomy is a permanent feeding tube that is inserted from the skin of the stomach directly into the patient's stomach. Through this tube, artificial food will be inserted directly into the stomach for a comatose patient to digest.
What to do when visiting a comatose patient
There isn't much you can do when visiting a family member or friend who is in a coma. However, there are things you can do to stimulate the patient's reflex to your presence. The method is as follows:
- Greet the patient in a gentle tone so that the patient knows that you are visiting him.
- Talk about good things, because a comatose patient may hear what you say.
- Show your love and support, for example by holding your hand or simply stroking the skin gently. Even though it looks simple, this method can make the patient feel comfortable in your presence.
Even though the patient cannot give much response, still show your support for the patient. The greater your support, the greater the patient's enthusiasm to stay alive and wake up from a long sleep.
