The result of bilateral, diffuse, cerebral hemispheric dysfunction or involvement of the brain stem or both. VS and spontaneous respirations are maintained. Eyes are open and spontaneous movement is present. No voluntary action is observed, no cognitive function, does not have the capacity to experience pain. Most often related to basilar pontine destruction.
Patient is unable to talk, move and sometimes breathe.
Arousability and wakefulness remain the intact. The patient is able to blink and move eyes. An acute inflammatory polyneuropathy, with an incidence of 1.7 per 100,000. Unknown etiology, believed to be an autoimmune response to a viral infection. Immune mediated response triggers destruction of the myelin sheath surrounding the spinal and cranial nerves.