The Vegetative State: Life, Death and Consciousness

The three conditions that are traditionally defined as disorders of consciousness are the comatose state, the minimally conscious state and the vegetative state. Thirty years after the phrase was coined, the definition and management of patients in vegetative states continue to provoke debate. Recent advances in neuroimaging have cast doubt on the assertion that these patients are completely unaware of their environment. This article presents a case report and review of disorders of consciousness, their definition, prognosis and ethical issues in the management of patients.