the attending physician", deleted requirement of informed consent of next of kin, added requirement that physician qualified to make neurological diagnosis deem patient to be permanently unconscious, added provision re determination of wishes of patient, and added provision re immunity of physician qualified to make a neurological diagnosis for determination made in accordance with usual and customary standards of medical practice as new Subsec. (b); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-11 added Subsec. (c) to require compliance with federal regulations regarding an infant; P.A. 93-407 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Sec. 19a-575a; P.A. 01-195 amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change, effective July 11, 2001; P.A. 02-105 amended Subsec. (a) by adding a person designated by the patient in accordance with Sec. 1-56r to the list of those to be consulted to determine the wishes of the patient; P.A. 06-195 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting "health care representative" for "health care agent".
Section 19a-572 - Failure to execute document creates no presumption re wishes of patient.
Sections 19a-571 and 19a-573 to 19a-575a, inclusive, create no presumption concerning the wishes of a patient who has not executed a document as described in sections 19a-575 and 19a-575a.
(P.A. 85-606, S. 3; P.A. 93-407, S. 6.)
History: P.A. 93-407 added references to Sec. 19a-575a.
Section 19a-573 - Comfort care and pain alleviation to be provided. Documents executed prior to October 1, 1991.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 19a-571, 19a-572, 19a-574, 19a-575, 19a-575a, 19a-577, 19a-580a and 19a-580b, comfort care and pain alleviation shall be provided in all cases.
(b) Any document executed prior to October 1, 1991, in accordance with section 19a-575, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 1991, and section 19a-575a shall not be invalidated by any provision of public act 91-283*. Any document executed prior to October 1, 1991, shall not be presumed to prohibit withholding or withdrawal of life support systems as defined in section 19a-570, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 1991, unless such prior document specifically addresses such withholding or withdrawal.
(P.A. 85-606, S. 4; P.A. 91-283, S. 4; P.A. 93-407, S. 7.)
*Note: Public act 91-283 is entitled "An Act Concerning Living Wills". (See Reference Table captioned "Public Acts of 1991" in Volume 16 which lists the sections amended, created or repealed by the act.)
History: P.A. 91-283 added provision re validity of document executed prior to October 1, 1991, and presumption re withholding or withdrawal of life support systems; P.A. 93-407 added references to Sec. 19a-575a.
Section 19a-574 - Nonapplicability to pregnant patient.
The provisions of sections 19a-571 to 19a-573, inclusive, 19a-575 and 19a-575a shall not apply to a pregnant patient.
(P.A. 85-606, S. 5; P.A. 93-407, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 93-407 added reference to Sec. 19a-575a.
Section 19a-575 - Form of document re health care instructions and withdrawal or withholding of life support systems.
Any person eighteen years of age or older may execute a document that contains directions as to any aspect of health care, including the withholding or withdrawal