On November 21, 2011, Dr.Fan got a special call from a patient’s close friend, invited Dr.Fan to see a deep coma patient in INOVA Fairfax hospital neuroscience ICU ward. The visit was approved by that facility and its attending doctor.
The patient is a 67-years old gentleman who is a main minister of a local Indian Sikh temple. He got a hemorrhagic stroke in his brain stem area seven days ago when he did some home repairing. The hematoma was large and he had an emergency surgery when he was sent to ER by an ambulance. When I saw him, he had no any reflection and no any reaction to strong stimulation. His respiration was irregular and had to use breath machine. He had fever, 102 degree F. He was under antibiotics and respiration stimulating medication.
Considering: Stroke, Bi Pattern(闭证）.
I gave him An Gong Niu Huang pills(dissolve in warm water, once every 8 hours, i.g.), and did acupuncture for him.
Acupuncture points were: Ren Zhong, Yin Tang, Feng Chi, He Gu, Qu Chi, Ba Xie, Ba Feng, Zu San Li, Yong Quan. The stimulation was about one hour.
November 22, 2011: seemed have some effects. patient very occasionally move his leg slightly when I stimulated his Yong Quan points.
November 23, 2011: patient had more reaction to acupuncture, the frequency of moving his leg, fingers, head, slight more than one day ago.
November 24, 2011: condition was same as before. The tube from skull to test ICP removed.
November 25, 2011(5th treatment): patient was still in deep coma, responding to acupuncture stimulation more often, seem every 5-10 stimulation he could have a responding. Stopping use antibiotics and respiration stimulating medication. The iv tube to central vein was removed and only used iv tube in arm vein.
November 26, 2011(6th treatment): patient was moved to Intermediate Unit from ICU. The condition was not good as yesterday. The doctor there discussed patient’s condition with his family members, suggested that this patient was still in very critical condition and his future was not so optimistic. Patient’s family members seemed considering give-up.
I did not give patient more treatments since then.
During six days I involved in his treatments, I feel Chinese medicine, included in An Gong Niu Huang Pills and acupuncture did show some effects, such as some responds to pain stimulation(relection recovered a little bit). However, this patient’s condition is too severe, he didn’t recover from the deep coma.
Although this invitation was by patient’s family and close friends, the facility and doctor in ICU did allow the doctor or practioner in Chinese medicine /acupuncture to see and treat patient. This is much open than a few years ago.
I remember, I saw a coma patient in Johns Hopkins Hospital two years ago, that facility did not allow patient to use Chinese herbal medicine, which needs special approval by hospital administration (the procedure would take half-year).
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Virginia Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine 