The Comatose Patient

The Comatose Patient is a single authored entirely new work written by a practicing critical care neurologist. It includes a critical historical overview of the concepts of consciousness and unconsciousness, principles of neurologic examination of the comatose patients including instruction of a new coma scale, the 'FOUR Score', a new practical multistep approach to the diagnosis of the comatose patient, extensive coverage of interpretation of neuroimaging and its role in daily practice and decision making, management in the emergency room and ICU and long-term supportive care and approach to communication with family members and end-of-life decision. It also discusses landmark legal cases and ethical problems and a chapter on the public perception of coma. The book is lavishly illustrated with 200 illustrations throughout the book.

Unprecedented, this book includes 75 comprehensive case vignettes covering the entire spectrum of causes leading to coma. In each case a specific cause is presented. Every example is fully discussed and explained with an emphasis on the mechanism of coma in that particular case and followed by a section on management and expected outcome.

A companion website www.oup.com/us/thecomatosepatient (http://www.oup.com/us/thecomatosepatient) presents 5 narrated chapters, including 40 patient examples showing the instructions of the FOUR score Coma Scale, common neurological findings in coma, breathing patterns in coma, different types of prolonged comatose states including a persistent vegetative state and a minimally conscious state. Using 3D animation, the videos includes a comprehensive description of the determination of Brain Death and how to safely do the apnea test. There is an emphasis on pitfalls and common concerns. The companion website also includes a PDF of the FOUR Score Instruction Guide for easy reference.

Eelco Wijdicks is a Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.