Hi, thanks for asking from HCM. I can understand your concern. Your friend might be having some serious head injury. he might be suffering from diffuse axonal injury. It is a kind of dangerous head injury which is usually not picked up by CT head. In it, brain has multiple microscopic damage of important areas related to consciousness (like reticular activating system, thalamus, hypothalamus, brainstem and cerebellum). The diagnosis is suspected based on clinical symptoms and negative CT head. Sometimes MRI brain can show small multiple hemorrhagic areas in above mentioned regions. It might be the reason behind your friend s prolonged unconsciousness, intubation. Try to discuss it with the neurosurgeon. This injury is managed conservatively with care of cardiac/respiratory system, anti epileptics like phenytoin, antiedema measures like mannitol, oxygen. Some brain protecting drugs can also help in regaining cognition, e.g. citicoline, cerebrohydrosylate protein. Another possibility is sedation due to alcohol and sedative drugs. If he has been given benzodiazepine, fentanyl, propofol, morphine derivatives, these might cause prolonged sedation. if such is the case, he will recover gradually after stopping sedation and giving good amount of fluids. Now coming to your questions 1 I don t know for how long he will be like this? It can only be said after stopping sedation and waiting. If he wakes, it means he was under sedation only. Otherwise, chances are that he might be having diffuse axonal injury, 2. You should not worry. You should be careful and observe. You can discuss above points with your neurosurgeon. 3 If he wakes up, it means good prognosis. Even if he is coming out of ventilator, that means good. Hope it will clear your doubts. If still in doubt, do let me know. Thanks. Take care. Dr Ishu Bishnoi