Coma 3
Coma 3 : A deep and prolonged state of unconsciousness that results from injury (especially to the head); disease (such as encephalitis or uncontrolled diabetes); hypoxia or anoxia (from suffocation or near-drowning, for example); or exposure to toxic and/or poisonous substances. A person who is affected with a coma is called comatose. Additional Info: Coma is the body's least responsive level of consciousness before death. Approximately 70% of patients that lapse into coma die without regaining normal consciousness. Comas may last from a few hours to years. Comas outwardly resemble a state of deep sleep, but are actually quite more complex. A good working definition is that a coma is a state of unresponsiveness from which an individual has not yet been aroused. On rare occasions, doctors will induce a coma in a patient using drugs such as barbituates. This temporary procedure puts the brain into a resting state so that procedures such as brain surgery can be performed or to give the body a chance to recover from trauma. For example, induced coma was part of the first successful treatment of rabies in an unvaccinated human. MSDS Relevance: MSDS's usually list coma as a symptom of acute (short-term) exposure to a material. Any person who suffers unconsciousness for any reason should seek prompt medical evaluation. A number of symptoms may (or may not) precede the comatose state, depending on the nature of the chemical and one's level of exposure. These can include dyspnea, stupor, vertigo/dizziness, malaise, lethargy etc. Read the MSDS for information about symptoms that may indicate exposure. See also: Asphyxiation, Neurotoxin, Syncope
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