1. Decreased alertness, awareness or consciousness, which may result from a variety of conditions including intoxication (drug, alcohol or toxins), metabolic abnormalities (
hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia
?, ketosis etc.), central nervous system diseases (
stroke, [head trauma]
?,
seizure) and
hypoxia. The metabolic abnormalities are the most common causes of coma. The difference between coma and stupor is that a patient with coma can not give a suitable response to either noxious or verbal stimuli, whereas a a patient in a stupor can give a rough response (like screaming) to a noxious stimulus. A persistent coma is called
vegetative state.
2. A coma is the tail of a comet produced by vapor boiled off the comet as it nears the sun.