Patients in a vegetative state may appear somewhat normal. They may occasionally grimace, cry, or laugh. Once the patient is out of immediate danger, although still in coma or vegetative state, the medical care team will concentrate on preventing infections and maintaining the patient's physical state as much as possible. Such maintenance includes preventing pneumonia and bed sores and providing balanced nutrition. People may emerge from a coma with a combination of physical, intellectual, and psychological difficulties that need special attention.
Recovery usually occurs gradually, with patients acquiring more and more ability to respond.
Some patients never progress beyond very basic responses, but many recover full awareness. Patients recovering from coma require close medical supervision. A coma rarely lasts more than 2 to 4 weeks. Some patients may regain a degree of awareness after vegetative state. Others may remain in a vegetative state for years or even decades.