The Terri Schiavo case gained national awareness on when and how the law defines death. Terri Shiavo had a fatal cardiac arrest that left her in a “vegetated state,” in other words the brain tissue had died due to lack of oxygen. Since the patient was married and in this state for 15 years, the patient’s husband had petitioned the courts to stop nutritional feedings and allow the patient to die. Firmly against this decision, the parents of the patient, fought the husband in court for the right to continue tube feedings, citing that it is unethical to withhold food and water. The husband claimed that Terri Shaivo made a statement about not living on life support should the worst happened. The parents stated that Terri would have wanted to stay
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Brain death implies the loss of not only all higher brain functions but also all brainstem functions, including pupillary light reflexes, reflex eye movements, respirations, and gag and corneal reflexes. Determination of brain death is straightforward and is generally accepted as a criterion for death. Coma is a complete state of unresponsiveness to stimuli, although the patient may have brainstem reflexes. Stupor and obtundation refer to state of reduced consciousness in which meaningful responses are still possible, if the patient receives enough stimulation. Finally, the “locked-in syndrome” denotes the condition of a patient who is paralyzed and cannot move or speak but is completely awake. Such patients can often communicate by blinking their eyes or looking up and down. …show more content…
Some families have made it standard practice to let loved ones know when to allow death to occur under certain circumstances.
For many years healthcare professionals had considered death as the cessation of breath and circulation, since medical technology advances, the definition of death has changed to no brain activity or death of brain tissue. According to the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA), which is recognized in 42 states, “Part (1) codifies the existing common law basis for determining death – total failure of the cardiorespiratory system. Part (2) extends the common law to include the new procedures for determination of death based upon irreversible loss of all brain functions…When artificial means of support preclude a determination under part (1), the Act recognizes that death can be determined by the alternative procedures.”(“Uniform Determination of Death
Brain death implies the loss of not only all higher brain functions but also all brainstem functions, including pupillary light reflexes, reflex eye movements, respirations, and gag and corneal reflexes. Determination of brain death is straightforward and is generally accepted as a criterion for death. Coma is a complete state of unresponsiveness to stimuli, although the patient may have brainstem reflexes. Stupor and obtundation refer to state of reduced consciousness in which meaningful responses are still possible, if the patient receives enough stimulation. Finally, the “locked-in syndrome” denotes the condition of a patient who is paralyzed and cannot move or speak but is completely awake. Such patients can often communicate by blinking their eyes or looking up and down. …show more content…
Some families have made it standard practice to let loved ones know when to allow death to occur under certain circumstances.
For many years healthcare professionals had considered death as the cessation of breath and circulation, since medical technology advances, the definition of death has changed to no brain activity or death of brain tissue. According to the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA), which is recognized in 42 states, “Part (1) codifies the existing common law basis for determining death – total failure of the cardiorespiratory system. Part (2) extends the common law to include the new procedures for determination of death based upon irreversible loss of all brain functions…When artificial means of support preclude a determination under part (1), the Act recognizes that death can be determined by the alternative procedures.”(“Uniform Determination of Death