Teen Refuses Life Saving Medical Treatment: Case Study

Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health What is the value of a life? Do family members always have the patients’ best interest in mind when making medical decisions? Who should ultimately make the decision of life or death for patients that will never leave a permanent vegetative state? Lester and Joyce Cruzan faced an issue no parent ever wants to face after their daughter, Nancy was in a horrific car accident that left her in a persistent vegetative state.

These days’ patients can either opt out of treatment or health care options in general because the healthcare system has undergone so much scrutiny for many incidents that still go on, because there’s not a day that goes by without see these drug compensation commercials. Compensation for patients whom have suffered the side effects of drugs that were tested on them with vague explanations of how it would work, and we see human beings die off of such careless inhumane acts. Patients should be constantly reminded of their rights, like how the police read one’s Miranda before they arrested it should be the first thing a care giver makes sure his or her patient knows before they agree to any type of treatment that just

Kevin t. Keith addresses his argument on why doctors should should stop futile treatment in a persistent tone.which is addressed to the healthcare network and the families of terminally ill patients. He presented a fair argument with questionable facts, ok anecdotes, and substandard

Similarly, all clinicians need to gain consent from nearly every patient, either verbal or non-verbal, unless in an immediately life-threatening condition. To refuse consent, a patient has to have all information presented to them by the clinician including; the risks they may face, other alternatives to the initial treatment plan and likelihood of success (SCAS, 2016, 5.3). Consent given by a patient under unfair pressure from a friend/family member or clinician, is not considered consent as it is not the patient’s decision. If a valid consent has been given, then a patient is entitled to withdraw their consent at any time. If a patient lacks capacity to give consent, and has no nominated person with Lasting Powers of Attorney, then no one can give consent on their behalf (SCAS, 2016,

A similar situation involves a woman suffering from brain cancer where she said that she decides her death with dignity at twenty-nine. She states “Because my tumor is so large, doctors prescribed full brain radiation. I read about the side effects: The hair on my scalp would have been singed off. My scalp would be left covered with first-degree burns. My quality of life, as I knew it, would be gone.”

Although, in this case the patient request was denied due to her not being of legal age, this court case falls under "rights related to freedom of choice and government interference". Even though was only a few months from her eighteen birthday when this occurred, she was not the legal age and her actions to the courts did not prove she was a mature

Everyone has the right to make decisions about their own health, body, sexuality and reproductive life, without fear, violence or discrimination. However all over the world, people 's freedom to make these decisions are controlled by the state, medical professionals, even their own families. Criminal laws or illegal actions are frequently used to control such choices. In the end, many people are prevented from making any choice at all. Every woman has the right to make any decision that involves her body.

There sometimes is a point that a human reaches in degeneration that modern medicines cannot aide or remedy. As described by Lewis Cohen, “Medication such as morphine can help the terminally ill manage pain, but it can’t ameliorate their agony at no longer being the same people that they were before the illness” (Cohen). The unbearable pain and loss of normalcy that accompanies those with terminal illnesses is what pushes them to consider assisted suicide. The mentality is seen simply as “if one is going to die anyway, then why not choose how and when.” Unfortunately, the choice of death for those with incurable circumstances has been twisted into other views and is being misinterpreted as a way for doctors to mercy kill their patients.

In order for a patient to receive the prescription for medication, a physician must declare the patient to be terminally ill, which means they have an incurable and irreversible illness, and they must have no more than six months to live. Also, a second doctor must agree with the first doctor. In addition, the terminally ill patient has to be mentally competent and able to administer the medication themself (“Threat” A12). These rules act as safeguards to ensure that the patient requesting aid in dying is making an informed decision and is acting voluntarily (Gopal

Reasoning: The State’s interest of preserving life can supersede parent’s decision for a child only

57. Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health (1990): Cruzan, in a vegetative state, could not make life decisions for herself and was brain dead so her family attempted to end her life support. The hospital would not allow her to do so because Missouri State law required court approval before terminating life support. Because there is no guarantee that family will always make decisions with best interests at heart in addition to the fact that the Missouri policy was designed to save lives, the SC upheld Missouri’s

1. The person I chose to interview was my Healthcare Legal & Regulatory Environment (HSM 330) professor, Mary Donnelly, JD, RN. Professor Donnelly has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nursing, a Juris Doctor in law, and a Master’s degree in Bioethics. The combination of clinical work, knowledge of law and graduate study in Bioethics is a good combination for her work as a Bioethics Consultant at Loyola University Medical Center. 2.

The patient must ask for the medicine themselves.” (Karlamangla 4). B. No one is forcing these deathly sick people to make a decision that they do not want to, they are choosing to end their suffering.

Furthermore, some patients who are fully-conscious may say that they want to go to the ends of the earth to find treatment. They may be very clear that they do not want to die and will do anything to survive. The depressing part of this situation comes when the patient receives news that they are at the end of their treatment and that no other options that could benefit them exist. Basically, that patient must make the decision if they want to die peacefully without treatment or be hooked onto life-support for the remainder of what little time is left in their life. The sad truth is, sometimes patients can fight to the bitter end, but still end up losing.

Patients have a right to complain about the doctor's refusal to the Management. Provision of Treatment requires patient’s choice and informed consent. Even if a patient has signed a general consent clause, the patient can still refuse medical treatment or procedures. However, in exceptional or emergency situations a doctor may be legally justified in performing surgery or providing treatment without the patient's consent. The patient should be competent and capable of making such a decision to give a consent.