| Advance Directive: |
Expression of one’s preferences about medical
treatment made prior to mental incapacity. A
generic term that includes such documents as living
wills, healthcare powers of attorney, and medical
directives.
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Antibiotics: |
Uses drugs
to fight infection. |
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Artificially-provided,
Nutrition/Hydration: |
Called “ANH”,
refers to any of several methods
for providing nutrition and hydration to patients who are
unable (or unwilling) to take in food and fluids by mouth.
Often called “tube feeding” and includes giving
nutrition and fluids through a tube in the veins, nose, or
stomach.
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Best Interests: |
Standard by
which third persons make healthcare decisions for mentally
incapacitated patients based on what they believe to be
"best" for a patient. Patient's wishes are not considered.
See “substituted judgment” below.
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Blood or Blood Products: |
Such as
receiving transfusions. |
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Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation:
(CPR) |
Using drugs and
electric shock to keep the heart beating at the point of
death; artificial feeding.
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Chemotherapy: |
Using drugs to fight
cancer. |
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Durable
Healthcare
Power of Attorney: |
Document by
which a person appoints an agent to make a broad range of
healthcare decisions that are not limited to end of life
situations. See Living Will below.
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Guardian ad Litem: |
A person
appointed by a court to protect the interests of a ward --
incompetent person or a minor -- in a legal proceeding.
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Heroic Measures: |
A
non-specific, non-medical term by which people intend to
define artificial life support and other end of life medical
intervention.
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Incompetent/Incapacitated: |
Persons are
incompetent or incapacitated to make medical decisions when
they are either 1) no longer able to understand information
about their medical condition and its implications, or 2)
able to understand, but unable to communicate decisions. A
patient's ability to understand other unrelated concepts is
not relevant.
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Invasive Diagnostic
Tests: |
Such as using a flexible tube to look into
the stomach. |
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| Kidney Dialysis: |
Cleaning the blood by machine or by fluid passing through
the stomach.
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Living Will: |
A document
signed while a person is able to make health care decisions
expressing preferences for end of life medical treatment in
the event of a hopeless illness or injury. The scope of
application is defined by state law.
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| Major Surgery: |
Includes invasive procedure to remove or repair body
parts like heart or lungs where anesthetic is used and
hospital stay is mandated.
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Mechanical Breathing: |
Breathing by machine like a
ventilator.
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Minor Surgery: |
Such as removing
some tissue from an infected toe. Out patient procedure. |
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Pain Medications: |
Includes medication that may nauseate and/or dull
consciousness and could indirectly shorten life. |
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Persistent Vegetative State: |
Sometimes
referred to as "permanent unconsciousness," PVS means that
brain function is permanently lost although there may be
motor reflexes.
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Simple Diagnostic Tests: |
Such as
performing blood tests or x-rays. |
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State Interests: |
Right-to-die decisions typically weigh the patient's right
to refuse life-sustaining treatment against four state
interests: 1) the preservation of life, 2) the prevention
of suicide (usually not implicated because death which
occurs after the removal of life support is due to natural
causes, not intended or set in motion by the patient), 3)
protection of innocent third parties, and 4) safeguarding
the integrity of the medical profession.
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Substituted Judgment: |
Standard by
which third persons make healthcare decisions for mentally
incapacitated patients by evaluating patient's past
statements, attitudes, and beliefs. The decision-maker
stands in the patient's shoes and makes the decision the
patient would have made under those circumstances.
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Terminal
Illness,
Terminal Condition: |
Definitions of "terminal" vary from state to state with the
focus generally on life expectancy and/or the possibility of
a patient's return to cognitive life.
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