A medically induced coma is when a patient receives a controlled dose of an anesthetic, typically propofol, pentobarbital or thiopental, to cause a temporary coma or a deep state of unconsciousness.hen do physicians medically induce coma? A patient who is in a medically induced coma has a brain injury with swelling that has not responded to other treatments. When the brain swells it can be life-threatening, as it can constrict blood supply and destroy additional brain tissue.