American soap operas portray a complete an improbable rosy picture of coma patients' survival and recovery, with potentially emotionally disastrous consequences and misleading notions for viewers.

Researchers who tracked storylines with coma patients for over 10-years, identified soap opera patients were far more likely to survive a coma than in real life. Survivors were also more likely to emerge unscathed and unharmed.

For instance, 8-percent of fictional patients in fictional towns died during coma for instance contrasting the nearly 50-percent and upwards who aren't so lucky in real life.

For survivors in soap opera land those who did survive their ordeal recovered fully from their comas, while realistically just one in ten would any semblance of normal life functions of their previous health.

Television storylines have tremendous influence on viewers and the unrealistic outcomes are troubling for family members in real life dealing with these situations or the consequences of a loved one in a coma.

American soaps reach 40-million viewers in the U.S. alone and are broadcast in 90 countries worldwide - a huge audience for convincing health messages.