Abstract
The growing diffusion of life support procedures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), allows physicians to keep a person alive almost indefinitely when the person's heart has stopped beating autonomously or spontaneous breathing is precluded. However, in some cases patients are brought back to life but remain in a vegetative state (VS) or in a minimally conscious state (MCS). This prompts reflections on the ‘pros and cons’ of life support procedures and on the recommended conduct to be adopted for the general management of patients who survive in a VS or MCS. Important issues to be debated include the choice of therapeutic management which guarantees for the patient the maximum possible physical and mental well-being; the distinction between ‘worthwhile’ and ‘disproportionate’ treatments; the patient's right to make decisions concerning his or her own health status; the possibility to make ‘advance directives’ when still healthy or when a life-threatening illness has been diagnosed; the role of relatives and caregivers in the choice of the best treatment for unconscious patients and the identification of ethically and scientifically valid criteria for the inclusion of unconscious patients in studies investigating experimental therapies.
Keywords: Disorders of consciousness, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, ethical, care, consent.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:Ethical Aspects of Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States
Volume: 20 Issue: 26
Author(s): Pierre Mallia, Raffaele Daniele, Simona Sacco, Antonio Carolei and Francesca Pistoia
Affiliation:
Keywords: Disorders of consciousness, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, ethical, care, consent.
Abstract: The growing diffusion of life support procedures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), allows physicians to keep a person alive almost indefinitely when the person's heart has stopped beating autonomously or spontaneous breathing is precluded. However, in some cases patients are brought back to life but remain in a vegetative state (VS) or in a minimally conscious state (MCS). This prompts reflections on the ‘pros and cons’ of life support procedures and on the recommended conduct to be adopted for the general management of patients who survive in a VS or MCS. Important issues to be debated include the choice of therapeutic management which guarantees for the patient the maximum possible physical and mental well-being; the distinction between ‘worthwhile’ and ‘disproportionate’ treatments; the patient's right to make decisions concerning his or her own health status; the possibility to make ‘advance directives’ when still healthy or when a life-threatening illness has been diagnosed; the role of relatives and caregivers in the choice of the best treatment for unconscious patients and the identification of ethically and scientifically valid criteria for the inclusion of unconscious patients in studies investigating experimental therapies.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Mallia Pierre, Daniele Raffaele, Sacco Simona, Carolei Antonio and Pistoia Francesca, Ethical Aspects of Vegetative and Minimally Conscious States, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2014; 20 (26) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113196660655
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113196660655 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Neuroprotective Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease
Current Gene Therapy Effects of Psychoactive Substances in Schizophrenia – Findings of Structural and Functional Neuroimaging
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Unusual Cerebral Involvement of Rheumatoid Arthritis Mimicking a Tumor
Current Medical Imaging Neurotrophic Factors for the Investigation and Treatment of Movement Disorders
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Central Nervous System Agents Systemic Redox Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Current Drug Metabolism Multi-Target Strategy and Experimental Studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry CXCL8 as a Potential Therapeutic Target for HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders
Current Drug Targets Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Treatment with Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide: A Case Report
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Hunting for Peptide Substrates of Prolyl Oligopeptidase: Classical Versus Non-Classical Bioactive Peptides
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets A Review on GABA/Glutamate Pathway for Therapeutic Intervention of ASD and ADHD
Current Medicinal Chemistry Animal Models for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Current Neuropharmacology Insight Into the Emerging Role of Striatal Neurotransmitters in the Pathophysiology of Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease: A Review
Current Neuropharmacology Chemical Senses Affecting Cough and Swallowing
Current Pharmaceutical Design Phosphodiesterases as Therapeutic Targets for Huntington’s Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Kidney Dysfunction is Associated with a High Burden of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Current Neurovascular Research Homocysteine Level and Mechanisms of Injury in Parkinson's Disease as Related to MTHFR, MTR, and MTHFD1 Genes Polymorphisms and LDopa Treatment
Current Genomics Synaptic Plasticity as a Therapeutic Target in the Treatment of Autism-related Single-gene Disorders
Current Pharmaceutical Design A Dual Mechanism Linking NGF/proNGF Imbalance and Early Inflammation to Alzheimer's Disease Neurodegeneration in the AD11 Anti-NGF Mouse Model
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Nanomedicinal Approach of Getting Across the Brood-Brain Barrier with Nanomedicinal Nanoparticles
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Role of Retinoids in the Adult Nervous System and their Therapeutic Potential
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry