Life Support
By: Brianna Antretter, Rosemarie
Cammarata, Nicole Beltran, Arianna
Sorrento, Christina Caravello, and Joseph
Lombardo
What is Life Support?
- Life support replaces or supports a failing
bodily function.
- In treatable or curable conditions, life
support is used temporarily until the body
can resume normal functioning.
- In situations where a cure is not available,
life support can actually prolong suffering.
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Medical Aspects
- Some commonly used terms for life
support are:
* Nutrition and hydration
* Tube feeding
* Intravenous feeding (parenteral
nutrition)
* Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
*Comfort Care/ Hospice Care
What do doctors say?
- Life support is recommended if it relieves
suffering, restores functioning, or
enhances the quality of life.
- Some say that this same treatment is
harmful because it causes pain and
prolongs the dying process.
Cases of Life Support
- Natasha Richardson: After suffering from a
head injury after falling while skiing, the
actress was taken off of life support a few
days later. The decision was made by her
family who did not want to see her suffer
any longer.
-The Terri Schiavo case- legal struggle
lasting from 1998-2005.
Cases of Life Support Cont.
- A judge ordered that doctors can switch off a
young boy's life-support system even though
his very religious Christian parents pleaded
for him to be kept alive in case of a miracle.
- The boy was born prematurely and at 3
months old underwent a surgery to repair
several holes in his heart.
- After a month on the machine, doctors saw
no improvement.
- Doctors also revealed that the boy was
vulnerable to infection.
Church's View
• The church believes that all ordinary
•
means should be used in order to keep a
person alive. Extraordinary means do not
have to be used.
Ordinary Means
o considered to be medicines or treatments
that will benefit the patient without excessive
expenses, pain, or any other inconvenience.
• Extraordinary means
o are medications and treatment that do not
have a high chance of healing a patient.
Church's View cont.
•
•
There are disagreements in the church on
the subject of life support.
Some say that it is not ethical to "pull the
plug" on someone. They feel as though any
medical or nutritional help should not be
taken from someone. Life should always be
sustained. It is not morally right to not be
given life support. However, if the life
support is not helping the patient whatsoever
then the support can be withdrawn.
Church's View Cont.
•
Others feel as though life is highly valued but
does not have to be sustained in all
situations. .If a patient would die without help
of life support, then they should receive the
life support. These people believe that if a
person is unable to fulfill life's purposes
(happiness, fulfillment, and love of God and
neighbors) while on life support, then it is not
ethically an obligation to sustain that persons
life.
Benefits of Life Support
• Increases Lifespan
o
Life support offers the advantage of increasing a person's lifespan.
This is beneficial for the sick people who need extra healing time.
Once that person is successfully healed, then they can be taken off of
life support
• Boosts recovery rates
o
When a person is on life support, new discoveries can be made in the
medical field which could potentially benefit the person. For example,
if a new drug is introduced while a person is on life support, that drug
can be used to treat the sickness. This can enhance the recovery
rates for individuals on life support.
Benefits of Life Support Cont..
• Benefits the family
o
Having a person on life support means that they and their families
have more time together. It provides an opportunity for families to
spend more time with the patient.
• Sustain Hope
o
Life support gives the family hope that their loved one will somehow
make full recovery.
Cons of Life Support
• Money
o
Having a loved one on life support is insanely expensive. Families are
buried in expenses and have huge hospital bills to pay.
• Sufferage
o
Both the patient and the family can both suffer from being on life
support. There is never any closure for the person and their families.
The patients are in pain and are suffering greatly.
• Religion
o
Some people believe that keeping a person on life support may
prevent a person's soul from going onto its next journey (heaven,
afterlife etc.)
Catholic Social Teachings
• Life support connects to the Catholic
Social Teachings for many reasons.
1. The life and dignity of the human person.
-This applies because you are taking the
persons dignity and it helps a person
sustain their identity and if you are hooked
on machines you do not have the ability to
help yourself.
2. Call to family, community, and
participation.
-This applies because you are putting your
life in somebody elses hands so you have
the other person has to participate usually
a family member taking responsibility of
your life on weather you should live or not.
and everyone has to get involved on their
advice but its really one persons decision.
3. Rights and Responsibilities
-You have the right to live but since you are
most likely already dead you have no
choice but to leave the decision in
somebody elses hands. Responsibility is a
big part because you are taking
responsibility for someones death.
4. Care for God's Creation
-human is God's creation and God decides
when its your time to go. You are
interfering with god's plan and keeping
someone alive making them suffer. There
is no reason to have God's creation suffer,
when its their time to go it's their time to
go.
Since life supports inception in August 1999,
life support has worked to raise the
needed funds to improve the EMS and
healthcare communities.
Life support, which started out with just five
members, has expanded to over 30
volunteers and even has a board of
directors.
Timeline
• 1999 - Cheri Marusa creates a vision of
Life Support
• 2000 - Life support is established as a
•
501 c 3 organization. Board of Directors
establishes five member.
2001 - KOMO People Helper airs a story
on Life Support. Life Support Board
expands to nine members. First Life
Support Dinner Auction raises $41,000.
Timeline
• 2003 - Life Supports begins the process
•
of transitioning from grass roots
organization to an organization with a
governing board of trustee and auxiliary.
2004 - establishes new governing board
of Trustees. Life Support announces
plans State-of-the-Art non-profit medical
center. Over $75000 fitted to EMS.
Timeline
• 2006 - retains architects for preliminary
•
work for medical center and EMS
facilities. Life Support launches annual
giving program and over $100,000 is
gifted to the Upper County EMS.
2007 - 2007 Washington state legislators
and governor Chris Greogoire allocates,
2.7 million in budget for Expanded EMS
facilities.
Timeline
Timeline
• 2012 - Life Support secured 2 million
dollars from the state capital budget in
order to complete Lake Cle Elum Station
78 and continue construction of Golf
course. Life Supports hosts tours and
Fire/EMS Stations and Swedish Medical
Center.
Video clip of Euthanasia
http://youtu.be/yVS8BtdphNA
Some people feel very strongly against the
use of such measures (like mercy killing) and
issue a "do not resuscitate" (DNR) order.
Sometimes, this treatment is only necessary for
a temporary period of time, but in some cases,
such as when a person is in a coma, it may be
used for years. These cases are often difficult
for families to deal with and hard to agree as to
whether or not the person should remain on life
support indefinitely. Many people refer to the
decision to discontinue such treatment as
pulling the plug.
Survey
PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest annual survey on values and
beliefs suggests that 75% of Americans support euthanasia - allowing a doctor to take the life of a patient who is suffering
from an incurable disease and wants to die. But the survey
also finds that 58% support doctor-assisted suicide for
patients in the same condition.
The apparent conflict in values appears to be a
consequence of mentioning, or not mentioning, the word
"suicide." When asked if doctors should be allowed to end
the life of a patient who is suffering from an incurable disease
and wants to die, 75% of Americans say "yes." But when
asked if doctors should be allowed to help a patient commit
suicide under the same circumstances, only 58% of
Americans say "yes."
References
1.
icancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0806.asp
2. http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-life-support/
3. http://myicucare.org/Support_Brochures/Pages/Life_Support.aspx
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo_case
5. http://www.ehow.com/about_4674923_pros-cons-life-support.html
6. http://www.gallup.com/poll/16333/three-four-americans-supporthttp://www.amer
euthanasia.aspx
7. http://youtu.be/yVS8BtdphNA