John T. was involved in a high-speed motor vehicle accident and sustained intracranial hemorrhage from hitting his head on the windshield. After a week of aggressive brain resuscitation therapy, including an induced barbiturate coma, John was declared brain dead. His family declined organ donation. Ventilator withdrawal is being postponed until John’s sister arrives from out of town. She is expected tomorrow.
Discussion Questions:
What are the possible reasons John’s family opposed organ donation?
What does it mean he is Brain Dead? What are the clinical signs?
What are the implications of postponing ventilator withdrawal while waiting for the sister?
What processes are necessary during ventilator withdrawal to insure John’s comfort and peaceful death?
How could you (as the Critical Care Nurse) assist/prepare the family for the discussion of the necessity of an autopsy since trauma victims are coroner’s cases?
Answer: The possible reasons John’s family opposed organ donation can be as their decision interconnected to their beliefs and values system, and the inadequate information about the donation of organ. Brain dead is a condition where brain stop working due to the blood and oxygen supply to the brain gets stopped. This can be caused by cardiac failure when the heart stops beating and the brain is starved of oxygen. The clinical signs include no eye movement, no response, unconsciousness etc. The implications of postponing ventilator withdrawal while waiting for the sister because due to the family issues and their beliefs and for the moral support.
John T. was involved in a high-speed motor vehicle accident and sustained intracranial hemorrhage from hitting...
John T. was involved in a high-speed motor vehicle accident and sustained intracranial hemorrhage from hitting his head on the windshield. After a week of aggressive brain resuscitation therapy, including an induced barbiturate coma, John was declared brain dead. His family declined organ donation. Ventilator withdrawal is being postponed until John’s sister arrives from out of town. She is expected tomorrow. Discussion Questions: 1. What are the possible reasons John’s family opposed organ donation? 2. What does it mean he...