Donald+Hubert


 * Slide one
 * Donald Hubert is a firefighter from Buffalo, New York
 * Slide two
 * He was knocked out and trapped under the roof of a collapsing building
 * He went without oxygen for several minutes (the exact time is unknown)
 * He first woke up 2 months later... he was unable to recognize his wife or children
 * After waking up the first time he slipped back into a coma... and wouldn't wake up again for 10 years
 * http://www.spring.org.uk/2005/05/firefighter-awakens-after-ten-years.htm
 * http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155608,00.html
 * People who are in comas can either die or recover fully
 * If you have a coma you are not brain dead... but you can become brain dead
 * Slide three
 * After he woke up the first time he was put into a nursing home
 * He was considered to be in a "semi-vegetative state"
 * After nearly 3 months on the medication he was on the verge of being in an "almost persistent vegetative coma state"
 * Three months after changing medication... Hubert woke up from his coma
 * His medication was for activating chemicals in the brain
 * norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin
 * He woke up... he was talking about the past, answering questions, and was fully alert
 * he was able to see, recognize people... he was fully conscious
 * Slide four
 * Since the brain went so long without oxygen he suffered from damage in many places in the brain
 * The doctors think that he could have also suffered from infection or seizers... and with the medication these conditions improved... allowing him to make an overall improvement is awareness
 * Though the doctor never witnessed any of these movements Hubert was reported to have little movements which signals a little consciousness- he was thought to be in some sort of vegetative state
 * http://www.birf.info/home/whats-new/us/tenyrs.html
 * He died from pneumonia
 * Slide five
 * Comas
 * Result from trauma throughout the brain (in multiple places)
 * Patients either come out of the coma or result in vegetative state
 * Patients are unable to breath and eat on own
 * Vegetative state
 * They are unconscious but have minimal awareness
 * They can have opened eyes
 * They can make noises and respond to some stimulation
 * They have sleep and wake cycles they appear to be awake and often follow a coma
 * Can breath on own
 * Cannot speak
 * Slide six
 * A person in a coma is basically unconscious
 * They do not have any complex brain activity (only the lowest for of brain activity)
 * They are unable to respond or have any sort of awareness
 * Slide seven
 * The only way to prevent a coma is by protecting your head and doing everything possible to prevent falling
 * Most causes of comas are uncontrollable (such as a wound or shock)
 * Slide eight
 * Though the person is unaware... the person is still legally alive
 * When the brain is trying to recover from an injury it often results in a coma... once the brain is injured and starts to try and heal itself
 * Comas are different for everyone- there is no way to tell when they will heal... there is no magic drug that will heal the brain and take a person out of a coma... all you can do is wait and let time heal the person as it should
 * The main thing to watch for while in a coma is pneumonia and bedsores... pneumonia can cause death for a person in a coma
 * It is important to have conversations with the patient because patients have recollection of the conversations and even though the person cant respond... they still might be able to hear the talking
 * Slide nine
 * Comas are different for everyone
 * The patient usually needs aid in order to breath and get the proper nutrients to survive
 * It is important that the person has a stable neck so that they don't become paralyzed
 * Recovery usually depends on the person and the extent of the damage to the brain
 * http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/brain/coma.html
 * http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/921394859.html
 * http://health.howstuffworks.com/brain-death3.htm
 * http://www.annointed.net/Article876.html
 * http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155344,00.html