What Are the Levels of Consciousness that May Follow a TBI?
Many patients emerge from a vegetative state within a few weeks, but those who do not recover within 30 days are said to be in a persistent vegetative state (PVS). The chances of recovery depend on the extent of injury to the brain and the patient’s age, with younger patients having a better chance of recovery than older patients. Adults have a 50 percent chance and children a 60 percent chance of recovering consciousness from a PVS within the first 6 months. After a year the chances that a PVS patient will regain consciousness are very low and most patients who do recover consciousness will be severely disabled. The longer a patient is in a PVS, the worse the resulting disabilities tend to be. Rehabilitation, however, can help the recovery.
