A personal question, not health care reform related, for medical professionals:

Under what circumstances is removal of a ventilator considered? My niece's fiance was in a traumatic car accident and suffered multiple injuries but no profound head trauma. He does have, in the words of the neurologist, a "small brain bleed" that may impact his short term memory, balance or personality but should pose no other serious long-term problems. He is currently on a ventilator and dialysis and has some fractured vertebra in the thoracic region but is moving his arms and legs. There has been some talk among his family of removing the ventilator which seems rather premature to me. Would really like some medical opinions so I can talk with my niece about this with a degree of confidence.

breathe on his own and they need to 'wean' him off of the ventilator.

They have made statements about him being brain dead, which is clearly not the case. He is responding to verbal cues such as squeeze my hand, he had to have his arms restrained yesterday because he was pulling on tubes and things, and his pupils are responsive to light.

the parents will have no say in removing him from the vent. That would be tantamount to murder, and I doubt any medical professional or hospital would condone that.

If need be, the hopsital could ask the judical system to intervene on his behalf, and appoint a guardian ad litem to protect his interests.

I would check with a good medical lawyer in his state, or call legal aid for more info, which laws apply, etc.

Good luck. Sending good vibes for speedy recovery.:hug:

1-after weaning,removing the breathing tube.
2-clinical brain death
3-pt's written request in the form of a living will.

It is unethical(and murder) to remove a ventillator from a patient who has an intact brainstem for,say,financial purposes or convenience sake.
I was a nurse in the MICU of a large hospital for 9 years.

They have also refused to authorize a surgery that he needs to repair a shattered pelvis and broken femur because in their words "what's the use if he isn't going to recover".

He is obviously not brain dead. But if they think he can start breathing on his own, that would be reason to start the weaning process.

Rox
(respiratory care student)

They should at least try to stabilize him before they make these sorts of decisions.

He is stable and recovering, albeit slowly. They keep making comments about him being "brain dead" but that is just clearly not the case.

I hope that's not what's driving the decision. :scared:

His employer has already stated they will keep him covered as long as they can or as long as is necessary for other arrangements to be made so that is not the issue. It's been pretty ugly with his mom and my niece, his fiance. Mom has done everything she can to keep my niece from receiving information and knowing what decisions are being made, and my niece and her fiance have been living together for almost 2 years.

memory, balance or personality but should pose no other serious long-term problems", then he is nowhere NEAR brain-dead, and appropriate care should be continued, INCLUDING surgical repair of the fractured pelvis and femur.

Perhaps the docs and nurses need to sit down with the family and explain things more clearly.

His mom seems to be on this power trip and won't listen to anyone. she has already gone off on family and hospital staff, including the social worker that was having my niece fill out some paper work regarding the daughter she and her fiance have. She is telling people her son is brain dead, had a co-worker tell me she heard it from his mom herself, and has been making comments about him "not making it" since the day the accident occurred.