Induced coma

Short description: Medical procedure

Induced coma

Other names| Medically induced coma
Specialty| Neurology, critical care medicine

[edit on Wikidata]

An induced coma - also known as a medically induced coma (MIC), barbiturate-induced coma, or drug-induced coma - is a temporary coma (a deep state of unconsciousness) brought on by a controlled dose of an anesthetic drug, often a barbiturate such as pentobarbital or thiopental. Other intravenous anesthetic drugs such as midazolam or propofol may be used.[1][2]

Drug-induced comas are used to protect the brain during major neurosurgery, as a last line of treatment in certain cases of status epilepticus that have not responded to other treatments,[2] and in refractory intracranial hypertension following traumatic brain injury.[1]

Induced coma usually results in significant systemic adverse effects. The patient is likely to completely lose respiratory drive and require mechanical ventilation;[3] gut motility is reduced;[4] hypotension can complicate efforts to maintain cerebral perfusion pressure and often requires the use of vasopressor drugs.[5] Hypokalemia often results.[6] The completely immobile patient is at increased risk of bed sores as well as infection from catheters.[7][8][9]

The presence of an endotracheal tube and mechanical ventilation alone are not indications of continuous sedation and coma. Only certain conditions such as intracranial hypertension, refractory status epilepticus, the inability to oxygenate with movement, et cetera justify the high risks of medically induced comas.[10]

Brain disruption from sedation can lead to an eight times[11] increased risk of the development of ICU delirium. This is associated with a doubled risk of mortality[12] during hospital admission. For every one day of delirium, there is a 10% increased risk of death.[13] Medically induced comas that achieve a RASS level of −4 or −5 are an independent predictor of death.[14]

Although patients are not sleeping while sedated, they can experience hallucinations and delusions[15] that are often graphic and traumatizing in nature. This can lead to post-ICU PTSD after hospital discharge. Patients that develop ICU delirium are at 120 times greater risk of long-term cognitive impairments.[16]

Considering the high risks of medically induced comas, protocols such as the ABCDEF Bundle[17] and PADIS guidelines[18] have been developed to guide ICU teams to avoid unnecessary sedation and comas. ICU teams that master these protocols to keep patients as awake and mobile as possible are called "Awake and Walking ICUs". These are teams that only implement medically induced comas when the possible benefits of sedation outweigh the high risks during specific cases.

Survivors of prolonged medically induced comas are at high risk of suffering from post-ICU syndrome[19] and may require extended physical, cognitive, and psychological rehabilitation.

## Contents

* 1 Theory
* 2 See also
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## Theory

Barbiturates reduce the metabolic rate of brain tissue, as well as the cerebral blood flow. With these reductions, the blood vessels in the brain narrow, resulting in a shrunken brain, and hence lower intracranial pressure. The hope is that, with the swelling relieved, the pressure decreases and some or all brain damage may be averted. Several studies have supported this theory by showing reduced mortality when treating refractory intracranial hypertension with a barbiturate coma.[20][21][22]

About 60% of the glucose and oxygen used by the brain is meant for its electrical activity and the rest for all other activities such as metabolism.[23] When barbiturates are given to brain injured patients for induced coma, they act by reducing the electrical activity of the brain, which reduces the metabolic and oxygen demand.[24] Their action limits oxidative damage to lipid membranes and may scavenge free radicals. They also lead to reduced vasogenic edema, fatty acid release and intracellular calcium release.[1]

The infusion dose rate of barbiturates is increased under monitoring by electroencephalography until burst suppression or cortical electrical silence (isoelectric "flatline") is attained.[25] Once there is improvement in the patient's general condition, the barbiturates are withdrawn gradually and the patient regains consciousness.

Controversy exists over the benefits of using barbiturates to control intracranial hypertension. Some studies have found that barbiturate-induced coma can reduce intracranial hypertension but does not necessarily prevent brain damage.[1] Furthermore, the reduction in intracranial hypertension may not be sustained. Some randomized trials have failed to demonstrate any survival or morbidity benefit of induced coma in diverse conditions such as neurosurgical operations, head trauma,[26] intracranial aneurysm rupture, intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, and status epilepticus. If the patient survives, cognitive impairment may also follow recovery from the coma.[27] Due to these risks, barbiturate-induced coma should be reserved for cases of refractory intracranial pressure elevation.[1]

## See also

* Insulin shock therapy
* Traumatic brain injury

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Intracranial pressure: monitoring and management.". Principles of Critical Care (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. 2014. ISBN 978-0-07-173881-1. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=1340&sectionid=80036194.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Variability in pharmacologically-induced coma for treatment of refractory status epilepticus". PLOS ONE 13 (10). 2018. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0205789. PMID 30379935. Bibcode: 2018PLoSO..1305789A.
3. ↑ Gueye, Papa N.; Lofaso, Frédéric; Borron, Stephen W.; Mellerio, Françoise; Vicaut, Eric; Harf, Alain; Baud, Frédéric J. (January 2002). "Mechanism of Respiratory Insufficiency in Pure or Mixed Drug-Induced Coma Involving Benzodiazepines". Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology 40 (1): 35–47. doi:10.1081/clt-120002884. PMID 11990203.
4. ↑ Ladopoulos, Theodoros; Giannaki, Maria; Alexopoulou, Christina; Proklou, Athanasia; Pediaditis, Emmanuel; Kondili, Eumorfia (15 March 2018). "Gastrointestinal dysmotility in critically ill patients" (in Greek). Annals of Gastroenterology (Crete, Greece: University of Crete Medical School, Department of Intensive Care Medicine) 31 (3): 273–281. doi:10.20524/aog.2018.0250. PMID 29720852.
5. ↑ Stevens, Robert D.; Nyquist, Paul A. (May 2008). "Types of Brain Dysfunction in Critical Illness". Neurologic Clinics (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) 26 (2): 469–486. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2008.02.004. ISSN 0733-8619. PMID 18514822. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733861908000248. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
6. ↑ Aytuluk, Hande Gurbuz; Topcu, Hulya (September 2020). "Severe hypokalemia and rebound hyperkalemia during barbiturate coma in patients with severe traumatic brain injury" (in Spanish). Neurocirugía (Elsevier Ltd) 31 (5): 216–222. doi:10.1016/j.neucir.2019.12.003. PMID 32146086.
7. ↑ Sarah Lewis, PharmD (16 March 2022). Han, M.D., Seunggu. ed. "Medically Induced Coma: Everything You Need to Know". Healthgrades (Healthgrades Marketplace, LLC) (Brain & Nerves). https://resources.healthgrades.com/right-care/brain-and-nerves/medically-induced-coma. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
8. ↑ Hayashi, Yuichi; Shibata, Hideaki; Kudo, Takuya; Nishida, Shohei; Ishikawa, Rie; Moriya, Chie; Suzuki, Akio; Kimura, Akio et al. (15 May 2018). "Drug-induced Pressure Ulcers in a Middle-aged Patient with Early-stage Parkinson's Disease". Internal Medicine (Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine) 57 (10): 1483–1486. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.9700-17. PMID 29279501.
9. ↑ Nseir, Saad; Makris, Demosthenes; Mathieu, Daniel; Durocher, Alain; Marquette, Charles-Hugo (15 March 2010). "Intensive care unit-acquired infection as a side effect of sedation". Critical Care (BioMed Central Ltd.) 14 (2). doi:10.1186/cc8907. PMID 20226064.
10. ↑ Eikermann, Matthias; Needham, Dale M; Devlin, John W (May 12, 2023). "'Multimodal, patient-centred symptom control': a strategy to replace sedation in the ICU". The Lancet 11 (6): 506–509. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00141-8. PMID 37187192. https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanres/PIIS2213-2600(23)00141-8.pdf.
11. ↑ Pan, Yanbin; Yan, Jianlong; Jiang, Zhixia; Luo, Jianying; Zhang, Jingjing; Yang, Kaihan (2019-07-10). "Incidence, risk factors, and cumulative risk of delirium among ICU patients: A case-control study". International Journal of Nursing Sciences 6 (3): 247–251. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.05.008. ISSN 2352-0132. PMID 31508442.
12. ↑ Salluh, Jorge I. F.; Wang, Han; Schneider, Eric B.; Nagaraja, Neeraja; Yenokyan, Gayane; Damluji, Abdulla; Serafim, Rodrigo B.; Stevens, Robert D. (2015-06-03). "Outcome of delirium in critically ill patients: systematic review and meta-analysis" (in en). BMJ 350. doi:10.1136/bmj.h2538. ISSN 1756-1833. PMID 26041151. PMC 4454920. https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2538.
13. ↑ Ely, E. Wesley; Shintani, Ayumi; Truman, Brenda; Speroff, Theodore; Gordon, Sharon M.; Harrell, Frank E.; Inouye, Sharon K.; Bernard, Gordon R. et al. (2004-04-14). "Delirium as a predictor of mortality in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit". JAMA 291 (14): 1753–1762. doi:10.1001/jama.291.14.1753. ISSN 1538-3598. PMID 15082703. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33751441.
14. ↑ Shehabi, Yahya; Bellomo, Rinaldo; Reade, Michael C.; Bailey, Michael; Bass, Frances; Howe, Belinda; McArthur, Colin; Seppelt, Ian M. et al. (2012-10-15). "Early intensive care sedation predicts long-term mortality in ventilated critically ill patients". American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 186 (8): 724–731. doi:10.1164/rccm.201203-0522OC. ISSN 1535-4970. PMID 22859526.
15. ↑ Ali, Mohammed; Cascella, Marco (2023). "ICU Delirium". StatPearls (Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing). PMID 32644706. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559280/. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
16. ↑ Girard, Timothy D.; Jackson, James C.; Pandharipande, Pratik P.; Pun, Brenda T.; Thompson, Jennifer L.; Shintani, Ayumi K.; Gordon, Sharon M.; Canonico, Angelo E. et al. (July 2010). "Delirium as a predictor of long-term cognitive impairment in survivors of critical illness". Critical Care Medicine 38 (7): 1513–1520. doi:10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181e47be1. ISSN 1530-0293. PMID 20473145.
17. ↑ Pun, Brenda T.; Balas, Michele C.; Barnes-Daly, Mary Ann; Thompson, Jennifer L.; Aldrich, J. Matthew; Barr, Juliana; Byrum, Diane; Carson, Shannon S. et al. (January 2019). "Caring for Critically Ill Patients with the ABCDEF Bundle: Results of the ICU Liberation Collaborative in Over 15,000 Adults". Critical Care Medicine 47 (1): 3–14. doi:10.1097/CCM.0000000000003482. ISSN 1530-0293. PMID 30339549.
18. ↑ "SCCM | PADIS Guidelines". https://sccm.org/Clinical-Resources/ICULiberation-Home/Guidelines.
19. ↑ Smith, Sarah; Rahman, Omar (2023), "Post-Intensive Care Syndrome", StatPearls (Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing), PMID 32644390, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558964/, retrieved 2023-08-15
20. ↑ "The Brain Trauma Foundation. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care. Use of barbiturates in the control of intracranial hypertension". Journal of Neurotrauma (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.) 17 (6–7): 527–530. 2000. doi:10.1089/neu.2000.17.527. PMID 10937896.
21. ↑ "The efficacy of barbiturate coma in the management of uncontrolled intracranial hypertension following neurosurgical trauma". Journal of Neurotrauma 11 (3): 325–331. June 1994. doi:10.1089/neu.1994.11.325. PMID 7996586.
22. ↑ "The effect of high dose barbiturate decompression after severe head injury. A controlled clinical trial". Acta Neurochirurgica 72 (3–4): 157–166. 1984. doi:10.1007/BF01406868. PMID 6382945.
23. ↑ Grocott HP. "Update on Techniques for Neuroprotection during Hypothermic Arrest". Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists. http://www.scahq.org/files/Conference_2014_Annual_Syllabi_Sessions/SCA_2014_syllabus_Grocott_Update_on_techniques_for_neuroprotection_during_hypothermic_arrest.pdf. "approximately 60% of CMRO2 is utilized for neuronal function (with the remainder being required for cellular integrity)"
24. ↑ "Cerebral protection and resuscitation". CNS Clinic – Jordan – Amman. http://www.neuroanesthesia.info/cerebralprotection.htm. "The primary mechanism of protection involves a reduction in CMRo2 of up to 55% to 60% at which point the EEG becomes isoelectric."
25. ↑ "Barbiturate Coma". Trauma.org. http://www.trauma.org/archive/anaesthesia/barbcoma.html. "Therapeutic EEG response: burst suppression or cortical electrical silence (with preservation of SSEP and BAEF)."
26. ↑ "The University of Toronto head injury treatment study: a prospective, randomized comparison of pentobarbital and mannitol". The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. Le Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques 11 (4): 434–440. November 1984. doi:10.1017/s0317167100045960. PMID 6440704.
27. ↑ "Clinical outcome and cognitive impairment in patients with severe head injuries treated with barbiturate coma". Acta Neurochirurgica 117 (3–4): 153–159. 1992. doi:10.1007/BF01400613. PMID 1414516.

## External links

* Medically induced Coma – LiveScience

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