title: Causes and outcomes of persistent vegetative state in a Chinese versus American referral hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the etiologies and clinical outcomes of patients in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) between a Chinese and US referral hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, observational study at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China and Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA (2001-2010) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 36 cases of PVS diagnosed. In Beijing, there were 19 cases: mean age 57 years, range 3-86, (42 %) female, with 37 % of patients observed to survive more than 1 year (range >1 month to >28 years, median >6 months). Causes of PVS in Beijing were hemorrhagic stroke (n = 4, 21 %), ischemic stroke (n = 2, 11 %), cardiac arrest (n = 5, 26 %, including 4 with attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)), traumatic brain injury (n = 3, 16 %), and one each of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, and epilepsy with craniopharyngioma (n = 4, 21 %). In Baltimore, there were 17 cases of PVS: mean age 43 years, range 15-83, 59 % female, with 41 % observed to survive more than 1 year (range >1 month to >10 years, median >3 years). Causes of PVS in Baltimore were ischemic stroke (n = 3, 18 %), cardiac arrest (n = 3, 18 %, including one with attempted CPR), traumatic brain injury (n = 3, 18 %), neurodegenerative conditions (n = 2, 12 %), and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy due to respiratory arrest (n = 3, 18 %), metabolic derangements (n = 2, 12 %), and meningitis (n = 1, 6 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There may be a long survival period for patients with PVS, including in China where resource constraints exist for acute neurologic care. Stroke appears to be the most common underlying cause of PVS in Chinese patients, followed closely by cardiac arrest with attempted CPR. There appear to be more varied causes of PVS in the US referral hospital with a predominance of stroke, cardiac arrest, and traumatic brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. farrah_mateen@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Farrah J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Mateen
authors.forename: Jing-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Shun-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carone
authors.forename: Eelco F M
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Wijdicks
authors.forename: Wei-Hai
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018458:Persistent Vegetative State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult