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| Advertisement Sponsored Links | | | | No. 1 | 
Nov 02, 2009, 12:49 AM
 Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support
M
 | | No. 2 |
Nov 02, 2009, 01:52 AM
Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support
I think its important to provide links for sources to comments such as in the previous post. Like most diseases this particular condition probably does lay along a continuum of severity. Whether or not the disease is treatable in the abstract does need to be balanced for quality of life variables.
Having said that I also think that the parents should come to a common agreement about the treatment plan.
| | No. 3 |
Nov 02, 2009, 02:23 AM
Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support
This is the great health care system? Why would a court be deciding (or doctors) to take baby off life support? A doctor would NEVER be able to decide in the U.S. even if they had no health insurance and couldnt pay the bill. If one parent wanted to keep the child on , they would be kept on. This is what happens when government runs things.
"this is the first time a court has gone against the wishes of a parent" Its a slippery slope! The flood gates are open!
| | No. 4 |
Nov 02, 2009, 02:37 AM
Updated
Nov 02, 2009 at 03:05 AM by caroladybelle
Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support Originally Posted by >30yrsRN  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia this is treatable
And we know that everything medical on Wikipedia, is well researched and accurate.
On the other hand, data from the Mayo Clinic indicates that there can be great variation in the treatability of the disorder and that some forms are fatal. It also indicates more serious issues in those that manifest the symptoms of the disorder earlier in life - I would say since birth indicates very early onset.
It also indicates that there are forms that have no drug treatment.
The other problem is the phrase "treatable". Virtually EVERYTHING is treatable. That does not mean curable, nor tolerable, nor maintaining good quality of life. Pancreatic cancer is treatable (but frequently not curable) with surgery/chemo, however frequently those "treatments" make actually risk shortening life, and frequently involving worsening quality of life. Is it worth lengthening one's life by a few days, if those days are marked by nonstop vomiting, being attached to IVs, NG tubes, or feeling acutely ill?
We do not receive the severity of the child's disease, whether it is presynaptic, or synaptic....all we know is when it has onset. That onset in early childhood (at birth) indicates that it is probably more severe, but again we do not know. We also know that child is unable to leave the hospital. As such, we cannot judge. But I would expect that the MDs in this DO have data on the longterm prognosis, and feel that they are better to judge than those of us, especially when relying on Wikipedia as a source of knowledge.
It is also interesting that the parents cannot come to agreement.
| | No. 5 |
Nov 02, 2009, 03:37 AM
Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support Originally Posted by izeofblu1973 Why would a court be deciding (or doctors) to take baby off life support? A doctor would NEVER be able to decide in the U.S. even if they had no health insurance and couldnt pay the bill. If one parent wanted to keep the child on , they would be kept on. This is what happens when government runs things.
"this is the first time a court has gone against the wishes of a parent" Its a slippery slope! The flood gates are open!
Uhhh, you are incorrect and for that matter, at least 10 years too late.
In 1999, George W. Bush, as governor of the state Texas, signed into law, legislation commonly known as the "Texas Futile Care Law" . This law permits withdrawal of life support, when the MDs of a case, in conjunction with the ethics committee, determines that the care is futile, even if the parents disagree. This has been done in several cases and at least one of the patients was on public assistance, or so is my understanding. The original legislation actually had the backing of some prolife groups as it required a 10 day waiting period in which the parents could try and find another provider of care and transfer their child. They have since withdraw support when it was found that in such cases, most hospitals....even the staunchly prolife ones... routinely refuse to accept such cases after reviewing the data.
I have also been told that Virginia has similar legislation, though I am not as familiar with the cases there.
With all the PR about alledged "death panels", I wonder why little gets said about GWB legislating a more definitive "death panel".
| | No. 7 |
Nov 02, 2009, 05:10 AM
Updated
Nov 02, 2009 at 08:21 PM by rn/writer
Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support Originally Posted by izeofblu1973 I was not aware of this. How disgusting! I think the government should just stay out of health care. It is murder to kill a baby when the parents dont want them taken off life support and Heaven help those who pull the plug, cause it sure as heck wont be me!
Please try facts in your arguments.
1. "Murder" implies premeditation and malice. I doubt the docs and mom feel the need to "murder" the baby.
2. This case involves the MOTHER wanting to withdraw, as well as the treating physicians. It's hardly the hospital running roughshod over the parents' wishes. Maybe dad can't cope with the idea.
3. If you really feel this is the nefarious "government" being involved in health care, I'm just...surprised. Is being charged with DUI having the "government" involved in your partying? Civilizations have rules, including the use of the courts, to protect the majority.
Thank god there is some remedy for physicians to advocate for their patient rather than cater to people who can't let go of the poor child who can't advocate for himself - dad thinks being in hospital since birth = "good quality of life"?
PS: Do you genuinely think any US insurance company would continue to pay for hospitalization ad infinitum...??
| | No. 8 |
Nov 02, 2009, 05:23 AM
Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support Originally Posted by caroladybelle Uhhh, you are incorrect and for that matter, at least 10 years too late.
In 1999, George W. Bush, as governor of the state Texas, signed into law, legislation commonly known as the "Texas Futile Care Law" . This law permits withdrawal of life support, when the MDs of a case, in conjunction with the ethics committee, determines that the care is futile, even if the parents disagree. This has been done in several cases and at least one of the patients was on public assistance, or so is my understanding. The original legislation actually had the backing of some prolife groups as it required a 10 day waiting period in which the parents could try and find another provider of care and transfer their child. They have since withdraw support when it was found that in such cases, most hospitals....even the staunchly prolife ones... routinely refuse to accept such cases after reviewing the data.
I have also been told that Virginia has similar legislation, though I am not as familiar with the cases there.
With all the PR about alledged "death panels", I wonder why little gets said about GWB legislating a more definitive "death panel".
Ah, yes, W, the great "respecter" of human life, the great "valuer" of humankind.  Now I can breathe easier.
| | No. 9 |
Nov 02, 2009, 06:05 AM
Updated
Nov 02, 2009 at 01:08 PM by Silverdragon102
Re: Dad Fights Hospital to Keep Baby on Life Support
I suspect there is much more to this story than is let on. If the child were as the dad claims, why not trach him and g-tube him and send him on his merry way? The fact that the child is still in the hospital at 1 year of age and has not been able to leave speaks volumes.
FWIW, It's disheartening to read that one thinks withdrawing support is "murder". I spend much of my time at work with "chronics". These kids are miserable.. frequent IV sticks, lab draws, bagging/suctioning, narcotic withdrawl, day in/day out in a hospital bed...what kind of life is that. It is NOT! It is very emotionally draining to take care of these children and it is almost a relief to hear when one has passed as they are free of all the **** I had to put them through just to keep them alive. I think most my of co-workers and myself are in agreement that if we ever required such medical care as these kids do, we would have wanted the vent turned off waaaay before it ever got to that point.
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