Doctors have begun attempting to rouse Formula One legend Michael Schumacher from coma a month after figuring in a horrific skiing accident, according to his manager as reported by Associated Press and featured in Yahoo! Sports.
In a statement, Sabine Kehm updated the media on the condition of the racing great: ''Michael's sedation is being reduced in order to allow the start of the waking up process which may take a long time.'' The statement added that Schumacher is artificially sedated, with the temperature of his body kept between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius. Such arrangement will lessen the swelling in his brain and reduce Schumacher's energy consumption so he could further rest.
Schumacher, 45, fell and hit his head on a rock while skiing in the French resort Meribel on December 29. He suffered serious head injuries, leaving him in a coma at the Grenoble University Hospital. His condition was initially called critical but has since stabilized after he underwent surgery.
The Associated Press reports that brain experts say the attempt to wake up Schumacher is a good sign for the racing legend's recuperation. Pressed to comment, brain trauma expert Dr. Clemens Pahl of the King's College Hospital in London said: "It means they have probably seen the pressure in his skull reduced."
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Strong of the King's College London said that doctors will have to determine whether the patienti conscious of his surroundings and could react to basic commands like raising his hands. "This is a test to see what his function is like," he explained. He added that once the effect of sedatives lessen, doctors would have to verify if Schumacher can breathe on his own and if he reacts to pain stimulus.
The doctors also agree that it will take months before a clear prognosis of Schumacher's condition is determined, and they did not discount the possibility of a lasting brain damage. Said Dr. Tipu Aziz of Oxford University: "If he pulls through, he may not be the man he was."
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