title: Monitoring of the comatose patient.
abstract: Monitoring of comatose patients involves a close followup of clinical findings and a number of various techniques. These techniques may be differentiated in invasive and non invasive techniques. The benefit of these techniques is controversial as to their effect on the actual therapy of the comatose patient. The benefit of sedation beyond the point of what is required for adequate sedation is questioned, as it makes clinical observation useless. Since there is no evidence that any technical monitoring is as sensitive and reliable as clinical monitoring, the reliance on only technical monitoring needs to be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Firsching
mesh_terms: D003128:Coma / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*