Not when used properly.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1411746
Opioids, given either orally or intravenously, are the treatment of choice for dyspnea and have been studied thoroughly in patients with COPD40,41 and patients with cancer42; they have been found to be effective in alleviating dyspnea and, when used carefully, not to have serious side effects, such as respiratory depression.
Shipping him to Italy instead of a costly legal battle and providing care for him as he was dying would have saved the hospital more money.
It wasn’t about the money.
Parents don’t have unlimited rights.
So in other words, let them die of dehyradation or starvation, but drug them up so they will die “humanly”.
Do you find that to be inhumane? If so why?
Bull ■■■■■ It must have cost millions in court costs. Money they UK could have saved if they simply allowed the wises of the parents to take THEIR OWN SON to Italy.
But the almighty government knows best.
But the government does.
This is why it clearly wasn’t about the money. The doctors in the UK felt it was the right thing to do to remove him from life support. The costs of such a decision didn’t enter into it. If all they were trying to do is save a buck, then they would have shipped him to Italy like you sad.
But they didn’t.
Of course not. But when the parents aren’t acting in the best interest of the child (in general, not in this case specifically), what do you think should happen?
Being a Christian I believe the First Amendment protections should remove the state from the decision making process completely providing the parents can justify such a claim.
Not being Catholic, I don’t think it’s a sin when for example the only way to relive horrendous pain in a hopeless case requires doses of narcotics sufficient to cause respiratory arrest.
It’s a fine line but I’ve been too close to too many cancer patients and their families and watched their loved one’s die a horrendous death in agony because the doctors were afraid to do so.
I even know a couple of cases in which my dad arranged to make sure that the family had enough morphine on hand when the end came that such a decision could be made.
Fortunately in such cases unless a family member demands an autopsy one will not be done.
I also believe in death with dignity and that people of sound mind should at the end be able to make that choice. As far as I’m concerned it’s between them and God and the God I believe in would not force someone to die in agony if an alternative exists.
It’s a really tough area of medicine to even discuss with most people.
The UK couldn’t take a chance in allowing the boy to go somewhere else for treatment, just in case they were wrong.
The UK police warned people they were monitoring peoples posts on social media, and threatening them with arrest.
Cant be seen dissenting from socialized medicine after all.
Of course it was about the money, the billions they’d be out fighting other suits in the future.
Money and power.
You think this is somehow going to prevent other lawsuits?
Don’t be silly. This isn’t the first case. This won’t be the last.
Unless its something you disagree with.
Yes?
For instance, if a child had a severe psychiatric disorder that could be easily treated but had Scientologists as parents, would you support the child getting treatment despite the parent’s objections?
How about a blood transfusion for Jehovah’s witnesses?
Or antibiotics for some Christian sects?
All of those cases have one thing in common, they will make the child better. Which is something you cannot say for either of these kids in the UK. I find it regrettable that some folks on the Right are making this political when in fact its personal. These poor parents were manipulated and exploited by people who were ostensibly supporting them but in reality exploiting their loss for political leverage and talking points, and this thread is a reflection of it.
And what gives you the right to decide the parents were not acting in the best interests of the child? based only on what UK doctors were saying?
Suffering requires cognition.
Nonsense. There was no coming back from his condition and we all know that.
The hospital was receiving numerous threats from their army. Monitoring social media is a good idea.
The whole point is to make as many people as possible believe such suits would be pointless, fruitless, and their costs in fighting them unrecoverable.
It’s about breaking their will to even try.
No, we don’t know that. They couldn’t even diagnose the cause.
Someone has to decide. Thank God it isn’t me, that would be extremely burdensome and I can only imagine the weight on the people that do have to decide.
