Posted: February 10th, 2023
UNIFORM DETERMINATION OF DEATH ACT (UDDA):
• DYING -> W/IN CONTEXT OF FAITH
• ORDINARY / EXTRAORDINARY MEANS OF LIFE SUPPORT
• ASSIST / SUBSTITUTE VITAL ORGANS
• DIALYSIS
• VENT
• CPR
• KILLING OR ALLOWING TO DIE?
DETERMINATION OF DEATH
ORDINARY / EXTRAORDINARY MEANS OF LIFE SUPPORT
Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA):
• model state law
• approved 1981
• NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMMISSIONERS ON UNIFORM STATE LAWS
• AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA)
• AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA)
• PRESIDENT’S COMMISSION FOR THE STUDY OF ETHICAL PROBLEMS IN MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH
Determination of Death:
(1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or
(2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem
UNIFORM DETERMINATION OF DEATH: 1. STANDARD CRITERIA (CARDIO-PULMONARY):
NO HEARTBEAT AND NO BREATHING or
2. NEUROLOGICAL CRITERIA; ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) x PARTIAL BRAIN DEATH (NOT ACCEPTABLE) TOTAL BRAIN DEATH (YES ACCEPTABLE)
MEDULLA OBLONGATA
DYING -> W/IN CONTEXT OF FAITH
HUMAN LIFE: YES FUNDAMENTAL VALUE / NOT ABSOLUTE VALUE
USA LIFE EXPECTANCY:
• WOMEN: 81 YEARS
• MEN: 76 YEARS
• COMBINED: 79 YEARS
MANAGEMENT, RELIEF: PAIN / SUFFERING
ANALYSIS: BENEFIT / BURDEN
DIAGNOSIS -> PROGNOSIS
BIOETHICAL MEANS OF LIFE SUPPORT:
• ORDINARY (PROPORTIONATE) / EXTRAORDINARY (DISPROPORTIONATE)
CLINICAL MEANS OF LIFE SUPPORT:
• STANDARD MEDICAL PRACTICE / EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT
ERD 56. A person has a moral obligation to use ordinary or proportionate means of preserving his or her life. Proportionate means are those that, in the judgment of the patient, offer a reasonable hope of benefit and do not entail an excessive burden or impose excessive expense on the family or the community.
ERD 57. A person may forgo extraordinary or disproportionate means of preserving life. Disproportionate means are those that, in the patient’s judgment, do not offer a reasonable hope of benefit or entail an excessive burden, or impose excessive expense on the family or the community.
ETHICAL OBLIGATION RE. VITAL ORGANS: ASSIST / SUBSTITUTE
WHEN TO WITHHOLD OR WITHDRAW LIFE SAVING TREATMENT?
DIALYSIS: SUBSTITUTES KIDNEYS
RESPIRATOR; ASSISTS IN PROVIDING OXYGEN
VENTILATOR; DEPENDS ON THE SETTINGS: ASSIST OR SUBSTITUTE BREATHING
RESPIRATORS: ASSIST BREATHING
(NOT VENTILATOR)
VENTILATOR: PERFUSION
WEANING PROCESS
VENT ~ 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE TRACHEOTOMY
EXTUBATION
TRACHEOTOMY
(TRACHEOSTOMY)
CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR):
• ASSISTS / SUBSTITUTES HEART
Defibrillation
• treatment for cardiac dysrhythmias
• Ex. ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT)
• delivers a dose of electric current to the heart
KILLING OR ALLOWING TO DIE?
After studying the course materials located on Module 6: Lecture Materials & Resources page, answer the following:
Submission Instructions:
SOLUTION
The determination of death is the process of identifying that an individual has permanently ceased to have brain function and respiration. In most countries, the legal definition of death is based on the concept of “irreversible cessation of brain function.” This is often determined by the irreversible loss of consciousness, apnea (cessation of breathing), and a flat electroencephalogram (EEG) reading, which shows that there is no electrical activity in the brain.
In some cases, a physician may also assess for other signs of death, such as the absence of pulse, fixed and dilated pupils, and the cooling of the body to determine if death has occurred. However, these signs are less reliable and are generally used in conjunction with other tests to confirm death.
It is important to determine death accurately because it has legal, ethical, and religious implications, including the declaration of death, the cessation of medical treatments, the donation of organs, and the funeral arrangements.
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