PHL 223 Lecture 2Outline of Current Lecture I. Karin Quinlin CaseII. Nancy Cruzan CaseCurrent LectureKarin Quinlin Case (1975)- 21 years old; healthy- Took drugs at a party which caused anoxia (lack of oxygen to) the brain because she stopped breathing.- She survived but was in a coma (Permanent vegetative state or PVS)o Now, 35,000 patients are in PVSo 280,000 patients are in a minimally conscious state- Quinlin would open her eyes, vomit and moan- She was placed on a ventilator- Her condition became wretched and her family wanted her removed from the ventilator- The catholic hospital refused to “kill” Quinlin- Quinlin’s lawyer argued for the family’s defense and right to remove their daughter from the ventilator- The NJ supreme court withheld that the right to privacy includes the right of a family to let a patient die by withdrawing life support.o “letting die” under the law- After being removed, Quinlin remained alive for 10 more years!These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Nancy Cruzan Case (1983)- Missouri, 24 years old- Lost control of her car and was thrown into the air 35 feet into a ditch—She was not wearing a seat belt- Anoxia led to PVS- She was kept alive for 7 years—Cost $910,000 (about $2 million in today’s money)- Parents sought to remove her feeding tube- The Missouri court said there must be clear and convincing evidence of the patient’s wishes for the support to be withdrawn. Vocab:- Advance directives:o Living will, values, inventorieso Durable power of attorney- someone who acts for you - The court could not remove her feeding tube- U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Missouri’s ruling- The Supreme Court also held in 1990 that competent patients may decline medical treatment, even if it leads to their death. - Cruzan was actually divorced- When her story became public, people who knew her told the court that Nancy had said that she did not want to live PVS- In 1990 her tube was legally
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