Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 5/15/2011

Question
Dear Sir,

My father went through a heart attack on Tuesday evening. I'm writing this on Sunday morning.

When we took him to the emergency, his left arm and leg were blue and cold. In the emergency he was drugged and put to sleep while they took emergency actions to save him. It was and is very painful to see my father in this condition.

They had a temporary pacemaker put in his chest to help the heart. He was put on a ventilator for breathing and machines to monitor his vitals.

Now on Saturday 6am they stopped the anesthesia drugs for him to wake up. He did not. His blood pressure is high ever since. He yawns and coughs. When we talk to him it seems he can hear us, sometimes his hand moves. The doctor did a reflex test by opening the eyelid and putting a torch and said good reflexes.

Now its been 27 hours since the stop on the anesthetic drugs but he's not talking normally. The doctor has really scared me and said he might just be in a vegetative state. I have read around the Internet for some people who say they couldn't wake up for 3 days after a long surgery but they could hear and feel everything.

The doctor have said it might be "epoxy brain damage", I do not know if that's the correct term but he pronounced it that way. Right now I'm at work and my brother is waiting for the neurologist's reference on this issue.

I'm very much afraid of losing my father. Please advise on what could be the cause and if there's something which I could refer to the doctors here.

Thank you.

Answer
I am really sorry to hear about your father. When his heart wasn't working right it was not doing its job of pumping the blood round his body. Once of the most critical areas affected by this is the brain. Too little blood supply means too little oxygen for the brain tissue - this is called hypoxia and so the anaesthetetist suspects that your father has 'hypoxic brain damage'.
Unfortunately there is nothing that you can do but wait to see if your father recovers - the Neurologist will probably be able to give further advice about likelyhood of recovery.
I'm really sorry - it is a really difficult time.
Dr Ian Jackson