Is Terri Schiavo Dead? Eat, drink, and vegetate

Reason ^ | 10-23-03 | Ronald Bailey

[ambrose]

October 23, 2003

Is Terri Schiavo Dead?

Eat, drink, and vegetate

Ronald Bailey

Terri Schiavo has been in a persistent vegetative state since 1990. Her husband wants to withdraw the nutrition and hydration her body has been receiving and allow her body to die. Her mother, father, and sister—and now Florida Governor Jeb Bush—want to continue supplying her body with food and water until... what? She wakes up? Dies of pneumonia?

What is a persistent vegetative state? According to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke people in PVS "have lost their thinking abilities and awareness of their surroundings, but retain non-cognitive function and normal sleep patterns. Even though those in a persistent vegetative state lose their higher brain functions, other key functions such as breathing and circulation remain relatively intact. Spontaneous movements may occur, and the eyes may open in response to external stimuli. They may even occasionally grimace, cry, or laugh. Although individuals in a persistent vegetative state may appear somewhat normal, they do not speak and they are unable to respond to commands." People suffering from PVS can generally be distinguished from afflicted but cognitively intact patients who suffer from "locked-in syndrome" by the fact that "locked in" patients can track visual stimuli and use eye blinks for communication.

According to most neurological experts, Terri Schiavo is definitely PVS—her eyes do not really track visual stimuli and she cannot communicate using eye blinks. However, Terri Schiavo's parents have posted several short ambiguous video clips online which are meant to show that Ms. Schiavo responds to stimuli. But what they show seems to fit an AMA's report of how PVS patients can respond to environmental cues without being aware. Specifically, the report notes, "Despite an 'alert demeanor', observation and examination repeatedly fail to demonstrate coherent speech, comprehension of the words of examiners or attendants, or any capacity to initiate or make consistently purposeful movements. Movements are largely confined to reflex withdrawals or posturing in response to noxious or other external stimuli. Since neither visual nor auditory signals require cortical integrity to stimulate brief orienting reflexes, some vegetative patients may turn the head or dart the eyes toward a noise or moving objects. However, PVS patients neither fixate upon nor consistently follow moving objects with the eyes, nor do they show other than startle responses to loud stimuli. They blink when air movements stimulate the cornea but not in the presence of visual threats per se."

Ms. Schiavo has been in this state for 13 years. What are her chances of recovering at least some awareness? Minnesota neurologist Ronald Cranford told the Washington Post, "There has never been a documented case of someone recovering after having been in a persistent vegetative state for more than 3 months. However, the journal Brain Injury reported the case, of a 26-year-old woman who, after being diagnosed as suffering from a persistent vegetative state for six months, recovered consciousness and, though severely disabled, is largely cognitively intact. However, it is generally agreed that if a patient doesn't become responsive before six months, his or her prognosis is extremely poor. A report on PVS by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council finds that "patients in a state of post-coma unresponsiveness may emerge from it to become responsive," that "the probability of emergence becomes progressively less over time," and that "there is general agreement that emergence is less likely in older people, and in the victims of hypoxic brain damage." Terri Schiavo is the way she is because oxygen was cut off to her brain for 14 minutes; in other words, she suffered severe hypoxic brain damage.

So is Terri Schiavo still alive? The odds are way against it. It's time that her long-suffering parents and the grandstanding politicians let her go in peace.

[Gringo1]

"Hello statue. So would you have pulled the trigger on Randy Weavers wife."

Naw, and I fail to understand why Lon Horiuchi did either.

[Armed Civilian]

Well I am glad to hear that. I was curious because of your response to me yesterday. By the way, the Apostles weren't the only ones who wrote the bible. Remember, there is an old testament

[Gringo1]

"Remember, there is an old testament"

Unless you are catholic or Lutheran(like myself), you would never know it.

[Gringo1]

I did include "and others of note.Job,etc)" in my statement.

[Armed Civilian]

Did you see the Luther movie? Great movie.

[spunkets]

"What if you cloned her and you ended up with 2 PVS Terri Schiavos? We would have to quit our jobs to counter the nonsense here.

Terri isn't in a PVS, in fact she was never in a vegetave state at all. The docs lied.

[Gringo1]

I did not see it....been very busy working and raising a family.

[paulklenk]

Let's call it what it is: euthansia.

Let's call it what it is: euphemism.

[Gringo1]

"Terri isn't in a PVS, in fact she was never in a vegetave state at all. The docs lied."

All the doctors agree she is PVS, even the court-appointed ones.

[newgeezer]

I notice you left off the tag...pretty typical to edit something to fit a preconcieved notion.

If either of us has a "preconceived notion," it's you. I didn't edit anything. I copied your gem in total from the Browse page. When I clicked the link to read the story, it had already been pulled. So, if your article contained a humor tag, it was past the character limit to appear on the Browse page.

Next time, you might try posting the product of your wit in the General Interest forum, with something like "(Humor)" in the title. That way, it won't be quite so misleading.

[Gringo1]

If you try to relax a little bit.

[newgeezer]

If you try to relax a little bit.

Relax? I'd like to relax just long enough to catch a movie. But, someone's bound to accuse me of neglecting my work and/or family.

(or, did you forgot your <humor> tag back there?)

[Gringo1]

"But, someone's bound to accuse me of neglecting my work and/or family."

I can relate to that. Sometimes I think I'm the only one at work who actually works. And with my wife on active duty with the Army, I have all the home/kids responsibilities on top of that.

[spunkets]

"All the doctors agree she is PVS, even the court-appointed ones.

Not so. Moreover, Hamersfar(sp) made a correct diagnosis.

Here's a quote from Dr. Peter Bambakidis the court's expert, "There are no tests to confirm a person's "inner awareness," said Dr. Peter Bambakidis, a neurologist from Cleveland." The guy moonlights a an expert witness, but really doesn't know what he's talking about. This is the guy that performed the balloon test. Do you suppose he would have recieved Terri's cooperation if he spoke to her in Cantonese? If there's no test to determine if someone is aware, how does he evaluate his patients, coin toss? I think his diagnosis amounts to no more than a complimentary nod to the consensus opinion of PVS for using his services.

[Gringo1]

Oh, that is the guy on probation?

I think we already went through his self-serving form of medicine if it is the same guy.

[spunkets]

Yea, he's operating on a probationary licence. That doesn't change, the facts though. Since you're not on probation, let's see what you come up with from that link.

[Gringo1]

The facts can change depending on who you get to state them.

[spunkets]

"The facts can change depending on who you get to state them."

The truth exists regardless of what anyone says it is. It is not hidden. I gave you a link that contains facts. It seems that you are either unwilling, or incapable of looking at the facts and coming to your own conclusions regarding the truth of the matter.

[The Red Zone]

The Consequences of Casual Conversations CHILLING!!!

[The Red Zone]

So how is it okay if she starves herself into a CVS and not okay if she is starved out of one?

You fell and bumped your head, so I can use a baseball bat on it to put you out of your misery?

GHOUL.