Taking a child off life support

Nurses General Nursing

Published

What do you think? This 14 year old boy accidently shot himself in the neck. The local news is reporting that the hospital is trying to take the patient off life support without parents approval. The mom wants to transfer the patient to another hospital but no one will accept the brain dead child. Stating there is nothing else that can be done. Mom reports the patient responds to her, tries to open his eyes and squeezes her hand. Either way isn't it ultimately up to the family and not the hospital to withdrawl life support. I mean as soon as the patient stabilizes enough, he should be able to go to a long term facility on the vent, if mom wants to keep the poor kid alive.

http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/health/9219847/detail.html

I hope it is resolved quickly and the child doesn't have to be maintained on life support for months or longer. It makes me ill to think that "pro-lifeers" are protesting thie hospital. The poor child is dead. There is nothing more that can be done for him in this life. It is terrible for mom. I wholeheartedly agree. It is also awful for the staff and awful that resources and staff are being utilized to give futile care and take away from other patients. I think it is unethical to keep a person "alive" on life support like this.

Disgusting. The "pro-lifers", I mean. Completely disgusting.

I take it from another post that he was taken off support. I know he's in Heaven and I hope his mom can find some comfort in that. :redpinkhe

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Specializes in Policy, Emergency OR, Peds OR, CVOR.

People like her make me want forced sterilization...

okay, not really, but geez. You should have to have a license or something before they let you have babies......

:madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface: :madface:

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

The link worked. Yet another sad story with a child at the centre. Has there been any further developments in this case?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

"I have concerns that Dixie may not be able to care for Daniel to maintain his multiple medical needs," wrote Sally Adams, a pediatric nurse practitioner at the hospital's low birth weight clinic. "I consider Daniel to [be] high risk for his multiple medical problems regardless of his home and social situation or his mother's problems."

Wow, excellent charting, there.

~faith,

Timothy.

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Disgusting. The "pro-lifers", I mean. Completely disgusting.

I just want to say that there are some "pro-lifers" who are more sensible and understand when mechanical ventilation needs to be stopped. I would consider myself one of them; I've stated to my family that if I should end up in a similar situation that I want some dignity to my death, and I've specified that I want organs donated.

I do agree though that some people on the pro-life side of things need some education on resources and futile cases. I don't mean to step on anyone's toes here but I hate to see all pro-life supporters lumped into the same "disgusting" category. Some do have sense about them. :)

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.

These situations are so sad, and I can understand why a mom would be less than rational. The loss of a child cuts to the soul.

It is our job to help people face the truth, and sometimes that takes time and alot of explaining. Most people don't understand physical death: I have seen this in my family when we have experienced loss. There is a lot of misinterpretation of the changes, it is natural for someone to grasp some hope from something that is clearly a reflex....I had a relative tell me about a dear family member, "he can't be in a coma, he is snoring. He is just sleeping."

I would rather have my heart ripped out than have one of my children die.

I am what would be called prolife: but I don't understand someone prolonging a life that has essentially already ended. That is so sad.

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That is a tough one. if it where my child and the doctor said that there was nothing else that the doctors or nurses can do then i would tell the hosptail to pull the plug. I wouldnt want my child or any family member to suffer more that they already have.

hopefuilly no one gets offenden with my coments if anyone does i am sorry.

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
That is a tough one. if it where my child and the doctor said that there was nothing else that the doctors or nurses can do then i would tell the hosptail to pull the plug. I wouldnt want my child or any family member to suffer more that they already have.

hopefuilly no one gets offenden with my coments if anyone does i am sorry.

I understand. I would not want my family member to suffer needlessly. I am sure no one is offended.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

this seems to me like it will turn into another terry schivo fiasco. in the case of minor i believe it's up to the family.

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I'm from Kansas City..... and have some insight on the case, this is the 2nd child of this mother who has died while "playing" with a gun. I believe the daughter was 4 or 5. While the police were doing their investigation a 16 year old that was living in the home was on some videos having sex with one of the adults of the home. That adult is in jail. (thank God) To say the least the family has "issues".

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
this seems to me like it will turn into another terry schivo fiasco. in the case of minor i believe it's up to the family.

Again, there is a big difference between Terri's case and this one. Terri was in a "persistant vegetative state" and not vent dependant. She was not brain dead/vent dependant. That is a significant difference in the eyes of the law as well as in medical ethics.

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