Protocols for the vegetative state

The diagnosis of the vegetative state, the fate worse than death, brings with it a nihilistic approach to the patient, untold misery to the family, emotional turmoil to medical and nursing staff who work in brain injury units and enormous economic cost to the country. There are no protocols yet devised for the vegetative state. The diagnosis has been shown to be incorrectly applied in a significant number of patients. The ethics of the situation needs full exploration. This paper explores the practical aspects of the diagnosis and management of the vegetative state and present methods of resolving problems associated with them.