What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on a 19-year-old woman who developed alpha coma after a suicide attempt by hanging.
What They Found
A 19-year-old woman admitted after a hanging attempt presented comatose with a systolic blood pressure of 60 mmHg, with spontaneous respiration restored after six hours. Her EEG showed an 8-10 Hz alpha rhythm for 72 hours, replaced by 5-7 Hz slow activity at 120 hours, and she regained consciousness on the 7th day, though developing apallic syndrome.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case illustrates the severe neurological consequences, such as alpha coma and apallic syndrome, that can follow anoxic brain injury from hanging. It also suggests that some degree of neurological recovery is possible even after such profound brain damage.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings cannot be generalized to a broader patient population.