A 55-year-old man who has been in a coma following a severe hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury 6 weeks ago is being assessed in ICU. He opens his eyes spo...

Question

A 55-year-old man who has been in a coma following a severe hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury 6 weeks ago is being assessed in ICU. He opens his eyes spontaneously with a sleep-wake cycle but shows no evidence of awareness - no visual tracking, no response to command, no purposeful movements. What is the correct classification of his condition?

Accepted Answer

Vegetative state (unresponsive wakefulness syndrome)

Answer

Minimally conscious state (MCS)

Answer

Coma

Answer

Locked-in syndrome

Answer

Brain death

uk-fficm MCQ (SBA): Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness