In the case of the man that was actually functioning for 23yrs in a coma..

[HipChick]

opens up a can of worms with 'brain dead' cases


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/23/man-trapped-coma-23-years

[Warpy]

1. There's a difference between diffuse slowing on an EEG

that's typical for people with brain injury and nothing showing on an EEG when there has been brain death.

I have never seen anyone in the latter condition improve. They've remained on a vent until infection finished the job.

[dugaresa]

2. i don't know if it will, what people should do is decide ahead of time via a living will

what they would be "willing to have happen"

Being almost completely paralyzed and in a state like the man described in that article is not acceptable to me, perhaps to others but not for me.

[rucky]

3. This is freaking me out.

And probably flipped me on the issue - at least until more reliable technology becomes standard.

[Dorian Gray]

7. Me too

reading the story horrified me. For the man. For his family. For people reading it and wondering if they made the wrong choice if they took a loved one off life support.

[ecstatic]

9. Who would want to live like that though? Completely paralyzed

and communicating through a computer?

[YOY]

4. Oh NOES!!! SOMEONE GET JESUS ON A TRAILER HITCH!!!

n/t

[MNDemNY]

5. Nope. This man was in a "coma" NEVER was he diagnosed "brain dead"

Very different.

[murray hill farm]

6. When I first heard of this...

my first thought was to wonder how a person in such a state..in such a condition could remain sane or anything close to it. 23 years?

[Barack_America]

8. Wait, the GOP told me the NHS kills people like this.

Seriously though, this is not likely to happen now days, with advanced MRIs and PET scans able to check brain perfusion.

But yeah, people given the vegetative state diagnosis long ago should be re-examined with new technology.

[librechik]

10. someone with a similar injury nowadays probably would be better screened

I'm not sure it's going to be the political wedge driver the GOP wants.

Bu they are really screwed--they would use anything, no matter how marginal, to get a slight advantage.

sigh