Why would you be put in an induced coma after heart attack?

Why would you be put in an induced coma after heart attack?

The swelling puts pressure on the brain. This reduces blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain, which can damage brain tissue. Inducing a coma allows the brain to rest.

How long is an induced coma after cardiac arrest?

Most die from being removed from life support because it’s predicted that they will have little brain function and will most likely not recover. Currently, many physicians wait 48 hours after a cardiac arrest for a patient to awaken from a coma, and some even opt to wait 72 hours.

What happens when you wake up from a medically induced coma?

People who do wake up from a coma usually come round gradually. They may be very agitated and confused to begin with. Some people will make a full recovery and be completely unaffected by the coma. Others will have disabilities caused by the damage to their brain.

Does ventilator keep heart beating?

The ventilator provides enough oxygen to keep the heart beating for several hours. Without this artificial help, the heart would stop beating.

What happens to your brain after cardiac arrest?

When cardiac arrest occurs, circulation to the brain ceases and consciousness is lost within seconds. Left untreated, irreversible brain damage and death will rapidly follow. The chance of survival with a favourable neurological outcome declines rapidly the longer someone remains in cardiac arrest.

Why does the brain swell after cardiac arrest?

Conclusions: The cause of brain swelling may be related to the development of the metabolic acidosis (possibly lactic acidosis) due to hypoxia before the resuscitation period.

Why are some people put into a medically induced coma after a heart attack?

Medically induced comas are actually common for people who go into cardiac arrest because it gives doctors the opportunity to use hypothermia to cool the body down. Patients treated with hypothermia are more likely to recover from cardiac arrest and heart attacks in order to get oxygen to the brain.

What are some reasons for an induced coma?

Reasons for a Drug-Induced Coma. According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the most common uses of drug-induced comas involve the presence of serious brain injuries, but other causes include drug overdoses and strokes. Such incidents can often cause a person’s brain to swell, which can be extremely dangerous to the organ itself.

What is the prognosis of coma due to cardiac arrest?

Approximately 80% of patients who are successfully resuscitated from cardiac arrest do not regain consciousness immediately after return of spontaneous circulation, and may remain in a coma for hours or weeks, or even be in a persistent vegetative state.

What are the recovery chances after a cardiac arrest?

The extent of damage to brain and the chances of recovery depend on the duration of cardiac arrest. In people with cardiac arrest lasting longer than five minutes, the chance of a meaningful recovery of brain functions is very less.