The Telco Coma Scale

To the Editor: A recent American study found that in 2009, girls aged 14–17 years sent an average of 112 text messages per day.1 Australian teenagers are no different. During a ward round earlier this year, I saw three teenage girls in a row in various stages of recovery from acute asthma. Despite the best efforts of the team, none of the teenagers spoke; the management of their conditions was discussed with their parents instead. However, the teenagers were clearly still awake, often giggling and actively texting, with their ubiquitous mobile phones tightly gripped in their hands.