HEALTHCARE ETHICS AND END OF LIFE DECISIONS Essay

HEALTHCARE ETHICS AND END OF LIFE DECISIONS - Essay Example There are also several factors that the court needs to look at as there comes a time when the court has to decide what type of treatment can be administered, withdrawn or withheld from a patient. Most important factors include whether a patient is competent or incompetent (Cohen-Almagor, 2001). A competent patient is seen by the court as an individual who is able to give informed consent or otherwise refuse treatment while incompetent patient is unable or lacks the capacity to do the same. In regard to individual autonomy the court is obliged to honor the consent of a competent patient in regard to their medical attention. When it comes to incompetent patient for example one that is in a comma, he or she cannot make an informed decision therefore an â€Å"advance directive† may be required in order to make a decision such as termination of life sustaining care and treatment. In the case quinlan, 70 N.J. 10, 355 A. 2d 647 is an example of a case where death is defined. Karen Ann Quinlan was in a vegetative state whereby she was brain dead and relied on mechanical respirator and artificial nutrition to sustain her. The courts were right to rule that a patient’s guardian and parents have the legal right to have a right of privacy on behalf of the patient. In so doing patients who are in an incompetent state can be safeguarded from suffering by their legal guardians or parents. The above definition however cannot be used as the universal definition as there are several definitions for the death. Some of the most common definitions are as follows: The common traditional meaning has always been adopted from Black’s Law Dictionary. The dictionary states that death is the â€Å"termination of respiration, heartbeat, and some of the central nervous system functionality, such as pulsation and respiration† (Pozgar, 2012). Most medical journals also define death as the end of life and dying as the process