A proposal that established uniform guidelines for determining when death has occured
Uniform Determination of Death Act
Final cessation of bodily activity, used to determine when death actually occurs; circulatory and respiratory functions have irreversibly ceased, and the entire brain (including the brain stem) has irreversibly ceased to function
Brain death
A condition of deep stupor from which the patient cannot be roused by external stimuli
Coma
Severe mental impairment characterized by irreversible cessation of the higher functions of the brain, most often caused by damage to the cerebral cortex
Persistent Vegetative State
Circulatory and respiratory functions have irreversibly ceased, entire brain (including brain stem) have irreversibly ceased to function
Parameters of brain death
Patients can recover from a coma, but cannot recover from
Persistent vegetative state
Cannot breather without assistance, no coughing or gagging reflex, no pupil response to light, no blinking reflex when cornea touched, no grimace reflex when head rotated or ears flushed with cold water, no response to pain
Tests to determine is death has occurred
What death technically results from
Lack of oxygen
Number of autopsies has
Declined
Referring to patients who are expected to die within six months
Terminally ill
Causes of terminal illness
Disease has progressed beyond effective treatment or there is no cure
The study of death and the psychological methods of coping with it
Thanatology
Goal is to help dying people exercise their rights to control end-of-life medical care
The Right to Die Movement
Case that made the Right to Die Movement a thing
Karen Ann Quinlan in 1976
A federal statute passed in 1989 to guide state legislatures in constructing laws to address advanced directives
Uniform Rights of Terminally Ill Act
First federal act concerning advanced directives
Patient Self-Determination Act
Conscious medical act that results in the death of a dying person
Active euthanasia
Act of allowing a dying patient to die naturally, without medical interference
Passive euthanasia
Act of ending a dying patient;s life by medical means with his or her permission
Voluntary euthanasia
Act of ending a terminal patient's life by medical means without his or her permission
Involuntary euthanasia
Greek for "good death
Euthanasia
Most states have laws against
Physician-assisted suicide, but you can challenge in court
Only US state that allows physician-assisted suicide
Oregon
Treatment of a terminally ill patient's symptoms in order to make dying more comfortable, also called comfort care
Palliative care
Treatment directed toward curing a patient's disease
Curative care
A facility or program, often carried out in a patient's home, in which teams of health care practitioners and volunteers provide a continuing environment that focuses on the physical, emotion, and psychological needs of the dying patient
Hospice
Federal law passed in 1990 that requires hospitals and other health care providers to provide written information to patients regarding their rights under state law to make medical decisions and execute advance directives
Patient Self-Determination Act
An advance directive that specifies an individual's end-of-life wishes
Living will
An advance directive that confers upon a designee the authority to make a variety of legal decisions on behalf of the grantor, usually including health care decisions
Durable power of attorney
Durable power of attorney issued for purposes of health care decisions only
Health care proxy
Passed in 1984, a statute that provides grants to qualified organ procurement organizations and established an Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network
National Organ Transplant Act
A national statute allowing individuals to donate their bodies or body parts, after death, for use in transplant surgery, tissue banks, or medical research or education
Uniform Anatomical Gift Act
National Organ Transplant Act passed in 1894 in response to
National shortage of organs
UNOS
United Network for Organ Sharing
Age range for organ donors
Newborn to 70
Human reaction to loss
Grief
5 stages of grief
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance
Right to refuse medical treatment
Cruzan v Director
Philosophy of Hospice
Dying patients should be allowed to live their final days in comfort
Encouraged individuals to prepare advanced directives
Patient's Self-Determination Act
Hospice programs do not support
Euthanasia
Durable power does not only pertain to
Medical choices