ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the effect of arousal methods for prolonged coma of 175 patients with severe traumatic brain injury and related factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>There were 175 cases with persistent coma longer than 1 month after severe traumatic brain injury. Coma lasted 1-12 months. Arousal procedures included hyperbaric oxygen, physical therapy and arousal drugs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 175 prolonged coma patients 110 got recovery of consciousness; in 118 cases with coma of 1-3 months, 86 cases recovered consciousness (72.9%); in 42 cases with coma of 4-6 months, 20 cases recovered consciousness (47.6); and in 15 cases with coma of longer than 6 months, only 4 cases recovered consciousness (26.7%). The recovery of consciousness depended on patient's primary brain stem damage, cerebral hernia, GCS score, and age.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Application of appropriate arousal procedures improves recovery of consciousness in patients with prolonged coma.</p>