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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Life Expectancy Of A Person Having Diabetic Coma?

My father is 59 and im 17 living in illinois and my father is in california and i dont know what to do my father is in diabetic coma and he is on life support what are the chances of him living because i need to know if i need to get a plane ticket to say my final goodbyes or to stay and let things roll out please help me
Fri, 11 Jan 2013
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Neurologist 's  Response
Hello,
I am a neurologist and i thank you for posting this question in this web site
The approach to a patient with coma by a neurologist begins with an extensive search for the exact cause of the coma which ultimaltly detrmines the long term out come of a given patient. The common causes of coma in this age are brain stroke, low or high blood glucose, low or high sodium in the blood, brain infection, head injuryn etc. People with diabetes are more prone for brain infection and some times fungal infections, various types of brain stroke like bleed inside the brain or blood clot in the brain. Apart from this either a very low blood glucose,or high blood glucose can result in coma. People with diabetes are also more prtone to heart and kidney problem.

As i told earlier, the cause of coma will determine the long term out come of a patient. For example a diabetic person who develops low blood glucose and he gets urgent treatment he will recover immediately without much problem. How ever, if a person with low blood glucose doesnot receive medical traetment for a long time, there can be irreversible brain damage. Similar with high blood glucose and diabetic ketocidosis. If the coma is due to stroke, a neurologist need to know the degree of brain damage by MRI or CT scan. MINOR STROKE WILL RECOVER. bUT MAJOR LARGE STROKE MAY NOT HAVE A GOOD RECOVERY.
based upon the data you have provided, i am not sure what exact is the cause of coma. You may check with your father's neurologist what actually is wrong with your father's brain hat resulted in coma. Further one EEG (Electroencephalography), just like ECG of heart will tell us if your father is going to make a recovery or not. Please discuss with your neurologist and let me know. Hope this clarifies
You can send me direct mail
dgopal30@yahoo.com

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Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Akhilesh Dubey's  Response
Hi,
Welcome to HCM,
Your father must be really serious as he is on life support system.The diabetic coma is treatable condition if there are no other complications.
With little information it is not clear exactly what is the problem we take it as diabetic ketoacidosis and there are other causes of coma in diabetes.
I hope your father improves soon,irrespective of outcome you should go to see him and support him as it would be great psychological support if you reach there.
We as doctors always try our level best to save life.
Take care
Good Luck.
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Life Expectancy Of A Person Having Diabetic Coma?

Hello, I am a neurologist and i thank you for posting this question in this web site The approach to a patient with coma by a neurologist begins with an extensive search for the exact cause of the coma which ultimaltly detrmines the long term out come of a given patient. The common causes of coma in this age are brain stroke, low or high blood glucose, low or high sodium in the blood, brain infection, head injuryn etc. People with diabetes are more prone for brain infection and some times fungal infections, various types of brain stroke like bleed inside the brain or blood clot in the brain. Apart from this either a very low blood glucose,or high blood glucose can result in coma. People with diabetes are also more prtone to heart and kidney problem. As i told earlier, the cause of coma will determine the long term out come of a patient. For example a diabetic person who develops low blood glucose and he gets urgent treatment he will recover immediately without much problem. How ever, if a person with low blood glucose doesnot receive medical traetment for a long time, there can be irreversible brain damage. Similar with high blood glucose and diabetic ketocidosis. If the coma is due to stroke, a neurologist need to know the degree of brain damage by MRI or CT scan. MINOR STROKE WILL RECOVER. bUT MAJOR LARGE STROKE MAY NOT HAVE A GOOD RECOVERY. based upon the data you have provided, i am not sure what exact is the cause of coma. You may check with your father s neurologist what actually is wrong with your father s brain hat resulted in coma. Further one EEG (Electroencephalography), just like ECG of heart will tell us if your father is going to make a recovery or not. Please discuss with your neurologist and let me know. Hope this clarifies You can send me direct mail dgopal30@yahoo.com