Editing Coma (section)

=== Continued care ===
Once a patient is stable and no longer in immediate danger, there may be a shift of priority from stabilizing the patient to maintaining the state of their physical wellbeing. Moving patients every 2–3 hours by turning them side to side is crucial to avoiding [[Pressure ulcer|bed sores]] as a result of being confined to a bed. Moving patients through the use of [[physical therapy]] also aids in preventing [[atelectasis]], [[contracture]]s or other orthopedic deformities which would interfere with a coma patient's recovery.<ref name="sr" />

Pneumonia is also common in coma patients due to their inability to swallow which can then lead to [[Pulmonary aspiration|aspiration]]. A coma patient's lack of a gag reflex and use of a feeding tube can result in food, drink or other solid organic matter being lodged within their [[Respiratory tract|lower respiratory tract]] (from the trachea to the lungs). This trapping of matter in their lower respiratory tract can ultimately lead to infection, resulting in [[aspiration pneumonia]].<ref name="sr" />

Coma patients may also deal with restlessness or seizures. As such, soft cloth restraints may be used to prevent them from pulling on tubes or dressings and side rails on the bed should be kept up to prevent patients from falling.<ref name="sr">{{cite web|title=Coma|url=http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/PatientEd/Materials/PDFDocs/dis-cond/general/coma.pdf|access-date=2010-12-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627165642/http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/PatientEd/Materials/PDFDocs/dis-cond/general/coma.pdf|archive-date=2010-06-27}}</ref>