Court Opinion

ID: 8202529
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-09 23:39:11.852253+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:00:10.279280
License: Public Domain

I join in the decision and result reached by the court today and write separately only to emphasize that physicians must comply with current medical practice in diagnosing whether a patient is in a persistent vegetative state. As noted by the majority opinion, an accurate diagnosis of persistent vegetative state is usually considered to be possible only after three months. Majority op. at ___, n. 2 (citingGuidelines for State Court Decision Making in Authorizingor Withholding Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment
(National Center for state Courts 1991)). When considering whether to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment (LSMT), physicians must not prematurelydiagnose a patient as being in a persistent vegetative state. We allow the withdrawal of LSMT today undervery limited circumstances. The diagnosis of persistent vegetative state must be by evidence which is clear and convincing. We are, after all, dealing with the death of a human being. I concur.