Israel's Ariel Sharon has been in a medically-induced coma now for eight days. The Israeli
government pretends that he's quite alright; he's just resting and he'll soon go for a walk.
The medical team basically sedated him so deeply that lung and heart functions have stopped.
There is no heart beat. No brain activity. The body has been kept "alive" mechanically by
machines that oxygenate his blood and pump it through the body.
At some point, the doctors will reduce the sedation to see if the body begins to react.
Neurologists will make tests to see if there is autonomic nerve function, such as scratching
the palms and the sole of the feet with a sharp instrument.
Induced comas and mechanical respiration works for very short time periods, and the younger
one is, the better it works. But for someone in poor health, or pass middle age, it's
extremely unlikely they will survive. If they do regain self-substained heart beat and lung
activity, they are very likely severely brain damaged, i.e., they could be challenged by a
cabbage. This medical procedure is possibly the last resort that can be used.
The reality is that Sharon is dead. His political party is keeping the body mechanically
respirated purely for political reasons.
yrs, andreas www.andreas.com
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