Аннотация:The second message of the study is that the term persistent vegetative state is widely misused, even in recent papers.3No clinician should accept a diagnosis of such a state within 12 months of the onset of coma.I strongly recommend use of the term "continuing vegeta- tive state," or even the simpler term "coma," for all patients who are comatose over the first 12 months after the onset of coma.In this way clini- cians and relatives will avoid drawing premature or incorrect conclusions from loosely applied diagnostic labels.
