Considering consciousness clinically

Intensive care has led to an increase in the number of patients who survive after severe acute brain damage. Most comatose patients who survive begin to awaken and recover gradually within 2-4 weeks. Although some of these individuals lastingly lose all brain function leading to brain death (BD), oftentimes this state is treated as synonymous with the death of the individual. Nonetheless, other individuals progress to “wakeful unawareness” defined as vegetative state (VS). Disorders of consciousness (DOC) terminology may be useful clinically, but does little to explain the nature of consciousness.