Most Most Most Urgent: Any treatment or Test or Diagnoses Available?

My wife is in a state where I don't know she will return or not below is the history:

She is asthema partient. Got an attack I reached hospital emergency on time hospital didn't respond in time she went to primary respiratory faliure which cause heart arest (stop) for 3 to 7 minute aprox. brain in loe oxegenation state went to sleep. MRI shows no structural damage. 1st EEG modrate slowing of delta and theta 2nd EEG week apart severe slowing of delta and theta 3rd EEG modrate delta and rare theta slowing. She has occasional recognition of speech open eyes on her name calls show emotional expressions like pain sorrow and joy occassionally smiles on some speech but no speech off of ventilator for last 2 days stable 26 days in ICU progress one improvement in 2-3 days.

Please let me know that if it is Persistent Vegitative State or Minimal Consious State or recovery symptoms or in this state any help is avaiable since doctor at my end says wait and see no fMRI is available in the country even if I fly somewhere and do fMRI for her what are the chances of recovery means fMRI can determine what part of brain has received damaged if it is determined is there any cure available since there is not physical ingery or structural damage.

Please reply urgently.

Regards,
Zee1974

[PaulMD]

Hi.

I'm sorry to learn what happenned.  From what you have described, I believe that this is what we call an hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which is a state that the brain undergoes after it had suffered loss of blood flow and oxygen (from the 3-7minutes cardiac arrest).  Indeed, this length of time that the brain is deprived of blood is already enough to cause some form of brain damage.

I believe that the MRI, though can give us information on what parts of the brain is involved, will not tell us much on when her symptoms would improve or when will she recover.  At this point, only time can tell if she would improve or not.  I would suggest that you discuss with the doctors regarding neuroprotectant drugs such as citicholine or piracetam to protect other areas of the brain from further damage.

I hope she can still eventually recover... Regards and God bless.

[Zee1974]

My friend I am really greatful about your comments and apologize about the delayed relpy but I was too busy in the Hospital. Great news is that she is recovering slowly and I discussed it with my physician and he allowed the injection of Citicoline IV 1000 mg 10 days today is 10th day.

But there are 2 areas still gray her full body movement and she has a chest tube inserted in her right lung and it is now more than 15 days and still shows signs of nemo and very little surgical infisima and also is on slow sucker.

History of body movement is that even in her early worst days she was able to move her leg to full potential but then hospital start giving her sedation and then she lost the touch sense and body movement specialy hands and legs do you thing that the sedation has supressed the sense and if it is then can we do some thing.

Please Advice
Zee1974

[Zee1974]

Further Comments

She can still move her shoulders with full power and legs as a whole just slightly (very little ignoreable movement) no banding no finger movement no had banding no lifting or elevating.