She had been in what doctors described as an irreversible vegetative state for five years.

她陷入医生们所说的一种不可逆转的植物人状态已达5年之久。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

She was in what was described as a vegetative state.

她处于一种被称为植物人的状态。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

But what about patients who are not awake and in a vegetative state?

但是，一个没有清醒过来且处于植物人状态的的病人会怎样呢？

youdao

This might be a persistent vegetative state with no possibility of turning it on, even in principle.

这可能是个持续性植物状态,即便原则上，都没有可能重启开关。

耶鲁公开课 - 死亡课程节选

There we are in Phase D,in something like, perhaps,persistent vegetative state.

这就是D阶段，可以叫做，持续植物人状态。

耶鲁公开课 - 死亡课程节选

Only 7% of people who enter into a prolonged vegetative state have good recoveries.

FORBES: Twilight Zone

It's very, very rare to be in a vegetative state for a long period of time and wake up.

CNN: Waiting for our son to wake up

Her parents rejected the doctors' diagnosis that Terri was in a persistent vegetative state, and insisted she could recover.

BBC: NEWS | Americas | Obituary: Terri Schiavo