How do bodily functions work when someone is in a coma?
In: Biology
It’s auto pilot; it just happens.
It’s contained and managed most simply by briefs aka ‘adult diapers’ if you’re not into promoting respect.
Specifically for urine: Texas/condom cath to mke it easier for caregivers. Maybe an indwelling cath, but this shouldn’t be used as a long term solution. A suprapubic cath is a longer term solution.
For BMs/poop: One could get a colostomy bag to manage it easier… ish.
They keep happening. Catheter is placed to allow for urine to drain, and #2 will still occur although less frequently. This is what nursing care is for.
Your body just keeps doing its thing. When youre not in a coma, you have external sphincters that you can control to stop urine and poop from coming out. Like what you do when youre holding your pee or poop in until you find a bathroom. When youre in a coma, you dont have control over them, so they just come out when your internal sphincters relax. You have 2 sphincters in those areas, one is called internal (you do not consciously control), and an external(the one you control).
The same as when they sleep.
The organ still move on autopilot
Coma is just a long deep sleep
Depends on the nature of the coma. They may be able to breathe on their own or they may need a machine to do their breathing for them. The thing that controls the heart beating is in the heart itself, so it can go on beating as long as it has oxygen while in a coma.
In cases of brain death, many functions just won’t work at all even if they can keep a person on a respirator, so they’ll still die.
If female, she’ll keep menstruating. If a child, they will grow and reach puberty.
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