Continued Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)
A person who has been in a vegetative state for more than one month is said to be in a persistent vegetative state. Then if this continues for longer than a year they are considered to be in a permanent vegetative state.
The longer a patient is in a vegetative state the less likely there is any chance of recovery. After approximately a year is the stage at which doctors consider withdrawing treatment.
In many cases the decision to withdraw treatment from a patient in PVS may understandably be opposed by the patient’s family.
If someone that you love is suffering from PVS then it is clearly an emotionally harrowing time for you and your family. The heartache and pain that you are feeling means that it is exceptionally difficult to make the right decisions for your loved one.
The specialist team of medical negligence lawyers, also known as clinical negligence lawyers, at Hugh James understands the conflicting pressures and concerns that are felt by families of PVS sufferers.
We have considerable experience in assisting people to navigate through the legal and medical jargon to help them do the right thing for their loved ones.
A person who has been in a vegetative state for more than one month is said to be in a persistent vegetative state. Then if this continues for longer than a year they are considered to be in a permanent vegetative state.
The longer a patient is in a vegetative state the less likely there is any chance of recovery. After approximately a year is the stage at which doctors consider withdrawing treatment.
In many cases the decision to withdraw treatment from a patient in PVS may understandably be opposed by the patient’s family.
If someone that you love is suffering from PVS then it is clearly an emotionally harrowing time for you and your family. The heartache and pain that you are feeling means that it is exceptionally difficult to make the right decisions for your loved one.
The specialist team of medical negligence lawyers, also known as clinical negligence lawyers, at Hugh James understands the conflicting pressures and concerns that are felt by families of PVS sufferers.
We have considerable experience in assisting people to navigate through the legal and medical jargon to help them do the right thing for their loved ones.
Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) is caused as a result of severe injury to the part of the brain.
A person in a vegetative state may seem to be awake yet unable to feel mental distress or physical pain. It is common after someone has been in a coma.
While some describe those in a persistent vegetative state as “brain dead,” in fact, the lower brain stem in PVS patients is still healthy and fully functioning.
As a result, patients in persistent vegetative states can:
- Blink and otherwise move their eyes
- Breathe on their own
- Cry or laugh, though not as an emotional response to external events
- Enjoy normal circulation
- Experience regular sleep-wake cycles
- Move their limbs, though purely as reflex (PVS patients can’t hold their limbs nor move them on command)
- Open their eyes
- Smile
- Track objects with their eyes
There is no treatment available that can reverse the effects of vegetative state, but some people do make a recovery. Although some do regain consciousness they may remain permanently brain damaged.