My step-daughter (24 years old) went into the hospital April 6th, 2011 to get her trach removed from an almost fatal wreck she had in March 2010. She was put into a drug-induced coma supposedly from Wednesday (the day of the surgery) to the following Monday morning when she would be brought out and awaken. That would have been the test to see if she would be able to breath on her own or would need the trach back in. The pro bono surgery was experimental and there were no guarantees that she would live without the trach.

Unfortunately, she woke up 24 hours early. Her chin was stitched to her chest and she was strapped down to be immobile. Breathing tubes were placed in her lungs. She woke (I guess panicked) ripped her stitches out and jerked her head back and forth. The tubes bundled in her throat and she swallowed one tube that went down her esophagus. She vomited and the bile and fluids went into her lungs. At this point, she went into cardiac arrest and they (medical staff) say her heart stopped for at least 2 minutes and was deprived oxygen to the brain for at least 2 minutes.

First question: How many minutes does it take for the brain cells to die because of the lack of oxygen.

Bailey is currently in a "vegetative state" and the trach had to be put back in her throat. What we thought was a simple procedure has turned into a life or death situation.

What are the outcomes for Bailey? She has been in a coma or PVS for 10 days now. What are the options for her prognosis?

I thank you so much for your input.

Lori