The Effects of Drug-Induced Comas on Children

There are several reasons a doctor may recommend that a juvenile patient be put into a temporary coma through the use of carefully administered drugs. In this state of unconsciousness, the patient can not be awakened and activity in the brain is drastically reduced. The effects of a drug-induced coma in children mimic those experienced by adults, and there is increasing evidence pointing towards several benefits of utilizing this treatment.

Physical Immobility

• Children put into a drug-induced coma will experience the same physical immobility as patients suffering natural comas. This often includes the child's breathing abilities, so they may be put on a respirator to perform this essential function. Children with severe bodily injuries are often put into a drug-induced coma to allow for adequate healing time due to the physical immobility this state of unconsciousness provides. Once the child is brought out of the coma, some physical therapy may be in order to restrengthen muscles and relearn some basic mobility skills.

Reduce Brain Swelling

• In cases of head trauma or near-drowning incidents, a child may be drug-induced into a coma to reduce swelling of the brain. Being put into this state of consciousness decreases blood flow and oxygen requirements, which results in the decrease and relief of life-threatening intracranial pressure. This is key in bettering the long-term chances of neurological recovery after such injuries, because unlike other organs the brain is in an enclosed space, and if it swells too much it will breach the skull and cause a deadly herniation.

Stop Infection

• A child may also be put into a drug-induced coma to help the immune system fight a viral, bacterial or systemic fungal infection. By shutting down the body's main functions, which consume the most energy and other vital resources, the immune system has a chance to tackle the infection with as much vigor as possible. This method of treatment has had success, even countering terminal prognosis by resulting in full recoveries of juvenile and adult patients alike. The Boston Globe reported that in the fall of 2004, a 15-year-old girl with rabies, a virus that attacks the brain, was induced into a seven-day coma by her doctors in Wisconsin and made a remarkable recovery

Brain Is Protected

• Inducing a coma is a method of treatment that focuses on protecting the patient's brain, even if it is in no danger of swelling or breaching the skull. A barbiturate-induced coma reduces the brain's metabolic demands of oxygen, blood and other nutrients, and in turn limits the chances that disease or foreign agents, such as the rabies virus, have to affect the brain.

Avoid Mental Stress

• It is obvious why parents and doctors would consider it an advantage that children induced into comas are spared some of the mental stress that comes hand-in-hand with hospital treatments. Sometimes children are unable to mentally cope with the stark surroundings of a hospital or any machines that their bodies are attached to, and this added stress can be enough to hinder recovery and put unnecessary strain on their bodily functions.