Introduction
Medical professionals are challenged by ethical dilemmas about dying and patients in persistent vegetative states (PVS). Terri Schiavo’s case includes bioethical issues of end-of-life decisions and patient autonomy. Terri, 26, received brain damage and a PVS diagnosis in 1990, and after learning that doctors could do nothing else for the woman, her husband, Michael, asked the court for feeding tube removal in 1998 (The New York Times, 2014).
Terri’s parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, and other stakeholders in the case opposed Michael, not believing that the woman was unconscious. Although Michael provided evidence that Terri would prefer dying instead of living with PVS, her parents did not accept this measure. They attracted the media and the public until the tube was finally removed in 2005.
Bioethical Issues Discussion
Decisions in the case are complex since they impact several aspects: families’ experiences, patients’ rights and quality of life, and similar issues. Therefore, involved experts should follow the four established bioethical principles (Akdeniz et al., 2021). The autonomy principle is influential in Terri’s case since the patient’s desires and the need to reduce suffering must guide end-of-life decisions.
Advance directions are written or oral instructions an individual gives regarding end-of-life care (Akdeniz et al., 2021). Terry left no written instructions, but the court estimated that her husband’s evidence of Terri’s wishes was convincing (The New York Times, 2014). Therefore, the parents did not follow their daughter’s will but extended her suffering with their efforts.
In this way, the case raises another ethical issue – patients’ quality of life in incurable conditions. An autopsy found that Terri had no consciousness and no possibility of recovery due to brain damage. Still, her condition made it impossible to know about the level of pain and suffering. Moreover, the difficulty of deciding about tube removal is how much suffering such a way of ending a life can bring.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Terri Schiavo case significantly impacted the healthcare debate and practice. The healthcare professionals involved had to consider bioethical issues when making decisions. For example, providers argued about the accuracy of the PVS diagnosis to comply with the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence if consciousness was preserved.
Providers involved in removing the tube needed to balance the principle of autonomy and the patient and her family’s best interests. Finally, the specialists had to follow the legal guidelines related to the case. Consequently, the Schiavo case includes many bioethical dilemmas and issues that require discussion and regulation.
References
Akdeniz, M., Yardımcı, B., & Kavukcu, E. (2021). Ethical considerations at end-of-life care. SAGE Open Medicine, 9, 1-9. Web.
Fremgen, B. F. (2019). Medical law and ethics (6th ed.). Pearson.
The IRAC formula. (n.d.). Law.Nerds.com. Web.
The New York Times. (2014). Terri Schiavo documentary: The case’s enduring legacy | Retro report | The New York Times [Video]. YouTube. Web.