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Withdrawing life‐sustaining treatment from severely brain‐damaged persons
Author(s) -
Pollard Brian J
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1991.tb119456.x
Subject(s) - unconsciousness , unconscious mind , medicine , intensive care medicine , medical treatment , psychiatry , psychology , psychoanalysis
Ventilator support is commonly withdrawn from unconscious patients who cannot breathe when it is reasonably certain that their condition is permanent and further medical treatment is futile. However, there is no consistent practice with permanently unconscious patients who can breathe but cannot swallow, despite the fact that ongoing treatment of these patients is similarly futile. In both groups of patients, the withdrawal of treatment is not euthanasia, and the cause of death is property considered to be the underlying illness. A review of the medical, legal and ethical literature shows that there is much disagreement about when and how to withdraw tube feeding from patients with severe brain damage. Criteria for withdrawal of treatment should include the permanent unconsciousness of the patient, the permanent absence of a life sustaining function, the elapse of sufficient time to be certain about the prognosis, the concurrence of at least one independent and qualified medical specialist, and the informed consent of the patient's family or other legally qualified agents.