New studies show a high rate of misdiagnosis and inaccuracy in patients deemed to be in a persistent vegetative state and researchers say that the findings are grounds for “extreme caution” in decisions that might “limit the life chances” of patients, according to a report issued in News-Medical.net.
The latest study conducted by Belgium researchers indicates that around a quarter of the patients in an acute vegetative state when they are first admitted to the hospital have a good chance of recovering a significant proportion of their faculties and up to a half will regain some level of consciousness, Belgium researchers have determined.
Another study shows that around 40% of the patients were wrongly diagnosed as in a vegetative state when they in fact registered the awareness levels of minimal consciousness.
According to the study as reported by News-Medical.net, comparing past studies on this issue shows that the level of misdiagnosis has not decreased in the last 15 years.
