Coma: Overview
Coma and vegetative state, words used interchangeably by laypeople, are distinguishable conditions. The patient in a comatose state cannot react to the outside world. The classic coma typically lasts less than one month, after which the patient either dies, regains consciousness, or hovers somewhere in between a full coma and complete consciousness. This "in between" condition is commonly called the vegetative state; the patient is semi-conscious but generally unaware of his surroundings. Typically, the more severe the brain injury is, the longer the period of impaired consciousness.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
More ...
.