The Wife of a Patient Who Is in a Coma

question 16

Multiple Choice

The wife of a patient who is in a coma is optimistic about her husband's recovery because he opens his eyes and appears to be awake.What is the most appropriate response to the wife's comment?

• A) "Your husband's behaviour is only a reflex and does not really show improvement in his condition."
• B) "Sleep-wake cycles are encouraging signs of recovery,and you should be optimistic about your husband's condition."
• C) "You are right to be optimistic.When patients begin to recover from a coma,the first behaviours seen are those of wakefulness."
• D) "Your husband may show sleep-wake patterns if the part of the brain responsible for arousal is not injured,but these patterns do not reflect activity of the higher brain centres."

---

Definitions:

Health Care

The maintenance or improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people.

Perfectly Inelastic

Perfectly inelastic describes a situation where the quantity demanded or supplied does not change in response to a change in price.

Health Insurance

A type of insurance coverage that pays for medical and surgical expenses incurred by the insured or reimburses the insured for expenses incurred from illness or injury.