Essay on The Desire to Die Suicide and Euthanasia in the...

Mrs. Jones, 78 years old, arrived in the emergency department (ED) via ambulance. She was alert and oriented, but was having episodes of lost consciousness. She was put on the cardiac monitor and her vital signs were obtained. Her cardiac rhythm was normal. Her vital signs were as follows: Temperature 97.3#176;F, Pulse 43, respirations 26, blood pressure 100/58 and O2 saturation of 94% on room air. Additionally, Mrs. Jones was vomiting and had 2 loose, incontinent stools. She was pale, cool to touch and diaphoretic. Auscultation of her lungs revealed expiratory wheezes. Her brother reported finding her in her living room on the couch. He reported that she was difficult to rouse, and becoming concerned, he called 911. Prior to the†¦show more content†¦A discussion of what to do then followed. Legally the ED staff could force treatment on her because emergency, life sustaining care does not require consent. This is true after a suicide even if the patient refuses care. But, the question was: Should they try to force care on this woman? If nothing was done she would most likely die, but there wasnt a lot that could be easily forced upon her without causing harm. How could you force her to drink the charcoal? When the crisis team arrived they went directly into the patients room. They tried to persuade her to accept treatment, but could not. The team decided to allow the brother to speak to her to see if he could persuade her. While the brother was speaking with Mrs. Jones, she lost consciousness. Poison control was again consulted and they recommended a stomach lavage and suctioning for the unconscious patient. This was performed. Blood was also drawn to check the levels of the various meds she had taken. The results of these tests showed dangerously high levels of Physostigmine, a cholinergic, and atropine was given to treat this toxicity. Mrs. Jones recovered from her attempted suicide and was admitted for observation. After several days on the medical surgical unit, she was stable and healthy enough to leave. But, her untreated depression and attempted suicide rose questions as to where she could be discharged to. Was it safe to allow Mrs. Jones to go home? Was it ethical to keep her from goingShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay Pro Euthanasia954 Words   |  4 PagesLee AP Language and composition Persuasive essay 6 October 2017 Euthanasia legalization The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival. Aristotle Being one of the most fervid and controversial topic of all, euthanasia, also known as physician-assisted suicide, has initiated a very sensitive discussion on life and death under one’s ability to choose either side. 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