Induced Coma as Possible Covid 19 Treatment

[BrandyandBabycham]

I am in floods of tears, having just watched a Channel 4 video of a 68 year old man who survived Covid 19 after being placed in an induced coma. It’s particularly emotional as a dear family friend ( in their early 80s) is in ICU & apparently it’s not looking good. He had that syndrome where you are paralysed ( sorry I can’t spell it but it affects your immune system) 21 years ago so that isn’t helping. I wondered if the doctors might opt to put him in an induced coma too? I have heard of vets doing that when animals are critically ill.

Induced coma just means being heavily sedated/anaesthetised in order to tolerate a breathing tube being placed and being put on a ventilator. All those patients ventilated in ITU have been in an induced coma. Ventilation would only be offered if it was thought to have a reasonable chance of success if ventilation wasn’t thought appropriate then there would be no need for the “coma”

Guillian Barre syndrome

It would be done if you need to actually go on a ventilator. You wouldn't tolerate the tube down into your lungs otherwise.

I understand it is also similar in many ways to going under general anaesthetic, when ventilation is also needed.

It is a welcome side effect of the sedating and paralysing drugs used during ventilation that you have no memory of it

GBS, if he fully recovered, would not change the treatment or the outcome now

I hope he recovers ok x

Firstly, wishing your relative well.

There are significant risks in sedating people and placing them in an induced coma. Obviously it is preferable to dying. People can and do recover when critically ill but an induced coma is only appropriate in specific situations.

Just to add, that not everyone has no memory of being ventilated. As you improve, they reduce the drugs to assess how well you can breathe so many people will remember being ventilated.

My husband's colleague was put in an induced coma 2 months ago and has just left hospital. You can't be awake and on a ventilator, thank goodness.