Woodruff and Vogt: an Update

Feb. 1, 2006 — Nearly three days after surviving a roadside bomb, "World News Tonight" co-anchor Bob Woodruff is slowly being brought out of sedation and will be weaned off a breathing tube in the coming days. The condition of cameraman Doug Vogt, who was also injured in the attack, continues to improve.

Vogt was said to be awake, alert and talking.

Woodruff has increasingly shown signs of consciousness. "He started to wake up more — move his arms and legs and just this morning started opening his eyes"

As per the same NEJM article discussed in the previous post:

At Walter Reed, the severity of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is assessed according to the duration of loss of consciousness and post-traumatic amnesia, according to Louis M. French, a neuropsychologist who is the DVBIC's clinical director. A mild TBI (which is usually not associated with visible abnormalities on brain imaging) is one that causes loss of consciousness lasting less than 1 hour or amnesia lasting less than 24 hours. A moderate TBI produces loss of consciousness lasting between 1 and 24 hours or post-traumatic amnesia for one to seven days. Injuries causing loss of consciousness for more than 24 hours or post-traumatic amnesia for more than a week are considered severe.

If Woodward is only beginning to regain conciousness now (and not as a consequence of being sedated) it point to a severe form of traumatic brain injury. Vogt sounds like he's in better shape, with reports stating that he is awake, alert and talking.