Substituted Judgement Essay

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Terri Schiavo 1 Terri Schiavo Case Analysis Terri Schiavo 2 Case: Terri Schiavo, in 1990 suffered a heart attack as a result of a potassium imbalance. As a result of massive brain damage she was diagnosed to be in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery. Unable to swallow, she was given a feeding tube which kept her alive. Terri did not have a will or an advance care directive. Her husband was appointed her surrogate decision maker. In 1998 a legal battle ensued between Terri’s husband and her parents, regarding the removal of the feeding tube. The legal pursuit would prolong for seven years and consisted of numerous petitions, appeals, and hearings. The legal realm included the legislative, executive, and judicial system of both Florida and the federal government. The court presiding would ultimately support Terri’s husband and the removal of the feeding tube. Terri died thirteen days after her feeding tube was removed in March 2005. (Tong, 2007) Terri Schiavo 3 Ethical issues: The principle of autonomy imposes that surrogates should follow the substituted judgment standard. In this case, Terri’s husband stated that his wife would not have wanted to be kept alive in a persistent vegetative state. By waiting a long time before making her wishes known, he ignored his wife’s wishes and violated her autonomy for many years. Beneficence and nonmaleficence can arguably be difficult to assess without the patients conveyance. The question of whether the feeding tube is promoting good or avoiding harm is not only applied to Terri, but for everyone involved. The principle of justice has dominated this case in determining the best interest standard. This principle required the courts to treat the question of life support treatment equitably and fairly without discrimination. This case provided
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