The Debate of Pulling the Plug in TBI
Jesse Ramirez of Arizona, 36, suffered traumatic brain injury in a May 30 car accident that put him in a coma. He had been in this minimally-conscious state for a little more than a week when doctors informed his wife that he may never recover and she made the decision to have his feeding and water tubes removed. Ramirez's family made a legal appeal and won and his feeding tubes were reconnected. Ramirez has since regained consciousness and recovered to the extent that he can interact with visitors. The injuries Ramirez sustained in his accident were traumatic in nature, meaning that the shock of impact likely ripped apart some of the fragile connections in his brain, leading to his coma. These injuries, on occasion, can heal to a certain extent, allowing the patient to recover functionality. This is far different from the damage caused by anoxia, in which a lack of oxygen to the brain causes irreparable brain damage. The fact that the nature of Ramirez's injury meant that he still had a chance to recover raises a natural question: Was the decision to discontinue his life support premature? Dr. Ausim Azizi says the decision to cut off life support usually takes weeks, or even longer. In this case, however, Ramirez's wife asked doctors to remove her husband's feeding and water tubes nine days after the accident. Whether Ramirez's wife's decision was a good decision is open for debate. The case raises the question of whether people should trust spouses or parents to make these life or death decisions.
