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Myths and Misconceptions in medicine…The opening of the eyes is always a sign of life

Jul 31, 2016 News

One of the most difficult tasks to fulfill as a doctor, will always be the heart wrenching task of breaking the news of death. To say the least it is never an easy task, especially when the hope of the survival of the patient burns brightly in the hearts of friends and family.
This hope given by a patient in critical condition can very well be deceptive. Let us examine the facts. We are often surprised when after someone has spent months or even days in an unconscious state and finally opens one’s eyes, giving us the awe inspiring impression that the person had finally made it through the valleys of death, and then, death happens.
But, how could this be? We saw him or her opening his/her eyes. Waking up how? Could it be that they are gone?
One of the biggest misconceptions in medicine is the fact that when someone opens one’s eyes after spending a long time in an unconscious state , that it is a sign of life, when in actuality it could very well be a sign of death.
Death in itself is a process, more than an isolated event. It is a process that entails many physical changes. One of these changes is called Rigor mortis. Rigor mortis is defined simply as the stiffening of the muscles in the body. All of the muscles in the body are affected.
Starting about two to six hours after death, one of the very first muscles to be affected is that of the eyelids. This may manifest itself, by causing the eyes to open, giving the impression that the patient has regained consciousness.
It then affects the neck, jaws and then spreads to other muscles, including the internal muscles. The reality is that the patient may have been deceased hours before that person shows this sign of opening the eyes, giving a somewhat false hope of survival.
It is something to ponder, even as we do keep our hopes alive that the opening of the eyes is a sign of potential life and consciousness, it is a great misconception to believe that it is always the reality.

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