persistent vegetative state

British  

noun

1.  PVS.  med an irreversible condition, resulting from brain damage, characterized by lack of consciousness, thought, and feeling, although reflex activities (such as breathing) continue

---

Example Sentences

Schiavo was considered by doctors to be in a persistent vegetative state after her brain was deprived of oxygen.

From Slate

After life support was withdrawn, autopsies confirmed that she was indeed in a “persistent vegetative state.”

From Slate

Now 39, her injuries have left her in a persistent vegetative state from which she will never recover, the court heard.

From BBC

"A lot of people are like, 'If I'm catastrophically critically ill, you can go ahead and take my organs. I don't need to be dead. If I'm in a persistent vegetative state, if I don't meet the criteria for brain death, but I've had an anoxic brain injury and I'm never going to wake up, I'm in a permanent coma, that's good enough. If you want to take my organs, go ahead."

From Salon

The health care system was developing tools to keep patients alive in a persistent vegetative state, raising difficult questions about when a family member could refuse death-prolonging treatment on their behalf.

From Slate