Case Tonya Archer is a fifteen year-old patient admitted to the hospital early l
ID: 167059 • Letter: C
Question
Case
Tonya Archer is a fifteen year-old patient admitted to the hospital early last week to have some fairly routine surgery performed. Post-surgical complications resulted in cardiac arrest, and then loss of blood circulation caused whole brain death. However, a ventilator and intubation are sustaining her body's life functions, including all other vital organs. The doctors have determined that the damage is permanent and that Tonya has no chance of regaining consciousness. Therefore, they want to take her off life support. However, Tonya's parents are adamant she remain on life support. They point out that her heart is beating, and they insist that their daughter is still very much alive.
Write a paper that answers the following questions:
What are the most relevant end-of-life issues in health care ethics as they relate to this case?
What should the hospital do? Should doctors simply keep Tonya on life support, as the parents want? Or, since all medical evidence indicates that Tonya's brain is permanent, should life support be removed?
Explanation / Answer
1). In this case, the patient's age is below 18 years, which indicates that she (Tonya Archer) is not legally competent to take medical decisions by for herself. So, her parents can take charge to take decisions regarding her end-of-life care support. Though the doctors claim that her recovery is not possible and damage is permanent, her parents want to keep the life support, this is the actual ethical issue in consideration.
2). In this case, the parents are legally competent to take decisions on behalf of the patient, so without agreement of the parents, life support cannot be removed. However, the doctors can make the parents understand the situation and should only off the life support if they agree.