When Life Support Is Questioned Early in the Care of Patients with Cervical-Level Quadriplegia
- 18 February 1993
- journal article
- Published by Massachusetts Medical Society in New England Journal of Medicine
- Vol. 328 (7) , 506-509
- https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm199302183280712
Abstract
Some patients with cervical spinal cord injuries ask to die. It is generally held that a competent, informed adult has the right to forgo medical treatment, even life-sustaining therapy1. Furthermore, respect for patients' autonomy is not only a fundamental ethical principle, but is also sanctioned by law2,3. In particular, there are a number of published accounts of patients with high-level cervical injuries who have been granted permission by the courts to discontinue life support48. In all these cases, the patients were beyond the acute phase of their injury when they made their decisions.In this . . .Keywords
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