Are my pts "brain dead"?

Nurses Relations

Published

You are reading page 4 of Are my pts "brain dead"?

kp1987

400 Posts

In the Terri case she only has a feeding tube and they removed it and a week later or so she died- did she essentially starve to death than? Or would they have been providing her with some other form of food? Sorry silly student question :)

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN

1 Article; 20,908 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
In the Terri case she only has a feeding tube and they removed it and a week later or so she died- did she essentially starve to death than? Or would they have been providing her with some other form of food? Sorry silly student question :)
no it's ok. It is tough to say....that was the argument. Did she starve to death? I find it difficult to believe that she died within one week without feeding, however is possible especially without fluid and hydration. That was the BIG debate....was this cruel or merciful.

If it was me....merciful.

KelRN215, BSN, RN

1 Article; 7,349 Posts

Specializes in Pedi.
In the Terri case she only has a feeding tube and they removed it and a week later or so she died- did she essentially starve to death than? Or would they have been providing her with some other form of food? Sorry silly student question :)

Death from Dehydration Is Usually Serene - ABC News

Her feeding tube was removed on March 18, 2005 and she died on March 31, 2005. She wasn't able to eat orally, she had failed swallow studies.

She didn't "starve to death" in the way that you're thinking. More likely, her kidneys shut down and the toxic electrolyte imbalances stopped her heart.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Terry Schiavo was alive. She was dependent upon feeding tubes with little/no hope for recovery. According to her husband she did not want to live like that. I wouldn't either. That's why it's SO important for everyone to have a living will, ON PAPER.[/quote']

Agree.

I think it gets very difficult when it becomes a CHILD though.

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

And she wasn't brain dead. Classic example of persistive vegetative state...

Terri Schiavo didn't have a vent nor a trach.She only had a feeding tube.

She actually had spontaneous respirations.

She had brain stem function.

psu_213, BSN, RN

3,878 Posts

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
I can't stand this site....most have given good answers,but there persists a few on here that get snarky every chance they get.

I do agree that no one on here should provide a snarky response to someone trying to learn. However, I have read basically every post on this thread, and there are not any that I would find snarky (especially compared to some of the posts on AN in other threads). I think what you perceive as snark is just frustration. The nurses who have responded to you have provided the same basic information over and over again...yet, the you still have the same questions. I'm not trying to put words in the mouths of other who have posted on here, but I think this is how some people are feeling about this discussion.

smartnurse1982

1,775 Posts

I get that......yes,they have provided the info.After that,I didn't say anything.Where did I say I disagree??????Anyway,I am one of those people who don't put trust in every word a Dr says....Basically,that's who is making the decision in the case of the 13 yr old.

klone, MSN, RN

14,790 Posts

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
I am one of those people who don't put trust in every word a Dr says....Basically,that's who is making the decision in the case of the 13 yr old.

Then who DO you think is best able to make a decision about this child, if not the physicians? By the way, it wasn't A doctor, it was six independent physicians who all came to the same conclusion.

OCNRN63, RN

5,978 Posts

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Noone expects you to know everything, but considering this is your "specialty", I think this is where some of us are doing the one-eyed squint while wrinkling our nose and tipping our head as we read some of your questions pertaining to how this process works...

You must have had a hidden camera watching me read these posts. ;)

OCNRN63, RN

5,978 Posts

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Well,considering my supervisors couldn't answer the question either......Anyway,I guess my pts are in a persistant vegeative state,even though its a grey area.I can't stand this site....most have given good answers,but there persists a few on here that get snarky every chance they get. Geez.First,there was NO need to.Second,European countries and the Usa have different definitions of brain death. There is no one size fits all.Third,I don't know of all the facts in the Cali case,so I'm only going by what I've read.

I don't think anyone has been snarky. This is your specialty, according to you. If anything, you should be educating those of us who don't work with patients in PVS.

CrazierThanYou

1,917 Posts

Noone expects you to know everything, but considering this is your "specialty", I think this is where some of us are doing the one-eyed squint while wrinkling our nose and tipping our head as we read some of your questions pertaining to how this process works...

Definitely. I don't really understand how can you could be an RN for any amount of time (nevermind 9 years) and not seem to have any kind of grasp on what it means to be brain dead? ESPECIALLY, when caring for the type of patients you describe. On top of that, you are on here asking if your patients are brain dead. What? The word troll comes to mind, I must admit.

And I agree with the other comments regarding the Cali child. She is dead. The end. We are all sad for her family but that is the end of the story. She has passed on from this world.

Terri Schiavo was NOT brain dead.

If you hate this site, why are you here?

smartnurse1982

1,775 Posts

I don't work in Neuro;I actually work in Private Duty peds.In any event,I had it explained better on that forum,and I guess its because they understand.The poster over there said when a child is born with "loss of brain function,its different than if the child was normal became like that through an accident,for example.I think its better known as "Global Developmental Delays" to me and to the other posters in the Private Duty Forum.

+ Add a Comment