Introduction
Severe pneumonia can lead to lung failure if the course is unfavorable. Those affected are then usually connected to ventilators or lung replacement devices and put into an artificial coma. In contrast to a coma, sleep is artificially induced by medication and is then monitored and controlled by specially trained doctors, so-called intensive care doctors.
Why do you need an artificial coma for pneumonia?
The artificial coma is used in the case of pneumonia when the lungs can no longer perform their function – in medical terminology this is called lung failure. If conventional therapies are no longer sufficient for the treatment of pneumonia, those affected are usually dependent on mechanical ventilation/oxygenation. This can be done with a ventilator, where a tube is inserted into the airways, or with a lung replacement device or procedure.
In the lung replacement procedure, the oxygen is then transported into the body through an access point in the blood vessels; the lung is then no longer involved in the process of oxygen exchange. This special device is also known as ECMO (extracorporal lung membrane oxygenation). In order to use the “lung function devices”, those affected are then placed in an artificial coma.
The artificial coma makes it possible to tolerate a breathing tube in the oral cavity or the airways and also helps to protect the body from stress and pain. This protective mechanism is achieved by the anesthesia, or rather by the medication which allows the patient to “sleep” and also relieves pain. The artificial coma in case of pneumonia is not a standard procedure, but is only used in extreme cases, especially when all other therapeutic measures have shown no effect and there is a loss of lung function.
Duration of artificial coma in pneumonia
It is not possible to make a general statement about the duration of the artificial coma in case of pneumonia. The artificial coma serves primarily to relieve the body or to stabilize the circulation, which is endangered by pain and stress. The necessary duration of an artificial coma depends on the progression of the affected person and is then evaluated by specialized doctors, usually anesthesiologists. In general, an attempt is made to keep the artificial coma as short as necessary, since a very long maintenance of artificial “sleep” increases the risk of complications.
