n. (pl. stadia) a stage in the course of a disease; for example, the stadium invasionis is the period between exposure to infection and the onset of symptoms.
(PVS) the condition that may be diagnosed after a patient has been in the *vegetative state for more than 4 weeks and is normally regarded as permanent, with little or no hope of recovery, after 12 months. Following the high-profile case of Tony Bland, who was in PVS following injuries sustained in the Hillsborough Football Stadium disaster, the law currently allows medical treatment, such as *artificial nutrition and hydration, to be withdrawn from patients in a permanent vegetative state, but permission must first be granted by the courts.... persistent vegetative state
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