What is persistent vegetative state (PVS)?
PVS is a type of coma. A PVS patient is not dead according to American law or Israeli law. PVS describes severe brain damage where the patient is unconscious and does not respond significantly to most stimulation. The unconscious patient sometimes responds to some pain and has some reflexes, but does not respond to voice and does not communicate. Most often PVS patients are breathing on their own. The diagnosis of PVS is given only after this medical situation has persisted for a period of months.
