J Med Ethics 2002;28:240-242
THE LAW, DEATH, AND MEDICAL ETHICS
A disability perspective from the United States
on the case of Ms B
D Coleman and S Drake
Not Dead Yet
Correspondence to:
D Coleman, President, Not Dead Yet, 7521 Madison Street,
Forest Park, IL 60130, USA; [log in to unmask]
ABSTRACT
This article will examine the case of Ms B, a woman with
tetraplegia for a year, who, prior to rehabilitation or return to
community life, sought a ruling that doctors may turn off
her ventilator. The authors are people with disabilities. Their
analysis focuses on the manner in which the High Court
(a) framed the case in terms of mental capacity,
(b) addressed the issue of suicide and ambivalence,
and (c) resolved informed consent and treatment alternative
issues. While the disability community in the US does not
oppose the general right to refuse treatment, there is
significant concern about lack of informed consent and
denial of desired treatment alternatives, and the cavalier
manner in which these factors have been dismissed.
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