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The case of Terri Schiavo, a young woman who spent 15 years in a persistent vegetative state, has emerged as a watershed in debates over end-of-life care. While many observers had thought the right to refuse medical treatment was well established, this case split a family, divided a nation, and counfounded physicians, legislators, and many of the people they treated or represented. In renewing debates over the importance of advance directives, the appropriate role of artificial hydration and nutrition, and the responsibilities of family members, the case also became one of history's most extensively litigated health care disputes. The Case of Terri Schiavo assembles a team of first-hand participants and content experts to provide thoughtful and nuanced analyses. In addition to a comprehensive overview, the book includes contributions by Ms. Schiavo's guardian ad litem, a neurologist and lawyer who participated in the case, and scholars who examine issues related to litigation, faith, gender, and disability. The volume also includes a powerful dissent from the views of many scholars in the bioethics community. The book is intended for students, health care professionals, policy makers, and other in search of carefully reasoned analyses of the case that will shape our view of death and end-of-life medical care for decades. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from OB GYN News, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 859 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Schiavo case shows need for clarity.(research)(care and treatment)
Author: David Dahl
Publication: OB GYN News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40Issue: 11Page: 12(1)

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Vivienne has been in a persistent vegetative state, looked after in a Home, for years. How can she suddenly be pregnant? She cannot speak for herself, so who should decide what happens to her unborn child? What is in her best interests? Her family, the medical team who care for her, the police investigating the crime - all have different interests, values and opinions on the best way forward. As events gather their own momentum, other people must make medical and moral choices on Vivienne's behalf - choices beset with uncertainty that profoundly affect their own relationships and futures. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Issues in Law & Medicine, published by National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc. on September 22, 1991. The length of the article is 6408 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Concerning the case of 'Mr. Stevens.' (Symposium: Current Controversies in the Right to Live, the Right to Die)
Author: John Jefferson Davis
Publication: Issues in Law & Medicine (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1991
Publisher: National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc.
Volume: 7Issue: n2Page: 227-241

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This digital document is an article from Issues in Law & Medicine, published by National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc. on September 22, 1996. The length of the article is 8211 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The permanent vegetative state: ethical crux, medical fiction?
Author: Christian J. Borthwick
Publication: Issues in Law & Medicine (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1996
Publisher: National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc.
Volume: 12Issue: n2Page: 167-185

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The article is excerpted fromGale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

Consultthe second edition of this authoritative, comprehensive, in-depthmedical guide for information on more than 1,700 medical topics inlanguage accessible to adult laypersons. Presented in a singlealphabetical sequence, articles range in length from one or twoparagraphs for minor topics, to several pages or more for major topics.Disease/disorder articles typically cover definition; description;causes and symptoms; diagnosis; treatments; prevention; and more.Test/treatment articles typically cover definition; purposes;precautions; preparation; risks; normal and abnormal results; and muchmore. This second edition includes more than 200 new entries, 300updated entries, approximately 650 color images and illustrations, anda comprehensive subject index. New features include biographical andhistorical sidebars throughout the text.

Disease/disorder articles contain some or all of the following sections:

• Definitions -- brief dictionary-style definition of the disorder
• Descriptions -- overview of the disorder; who gets it and why
• Causes & symptoms -- process, substance or organism thatproduces the condition; any risk factors that increase susceptibilityto the condition; signs and symptoms of the disease
• Diagnosis -- overview of procedures and tests used todiagnose the condition; how the test is done; who should be tested andwhen; time required; cost; whether it's typically covered by insurance
• Treatments -- overview of conventional methods of care ormanagement of the condition, such as drugs, surgeries, physicaltherapy, etc.
• Alternative treatments -- overview of alternative/complementary therapies that may be used to treat the condition
• Prognosis -- probable outcome of the disease
• Preventions -- what actions can be taken to prevent the condition from occurring

Test/treatment articles contain some or all of the following sections:

• Definitions -- brief dictionary-style definition of the test/treatment
• Purposes -- why and when this test/treatment is prescribed
• Precautions -- when this test/treatment should not be prescribed
• Descriptions -- overview of the test/treatment including cost,length of time required, procedures followed, whether typically coveredby insurance
• Preparation -- pre-test treatment procedures, if any
• Aftercare -- post-test treatment procedures, if any
• Risks -- any complications/side effects commonly associated with the test/treatment
• Normal results -- for tests, describes the normal values; for treatments, describes the anticipated outcomes
• Abnormal results -- defines abnormal test values

Published/Released: December 2001

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This digital document is an article from The Hastings Center Report, published by Hastings Center on February 1, 1988. The length of the article is 4232 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Ethical questions raised by the persistent vegetative patient.
Author: Baruch A. Brody
Publication: The Hastings Center Report (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 1988
Publisher: Hastings Center
Volume: v18Issue: n1Page: p33(5)

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This digital document is an article from The Hastings Center Report, published by Hastings Center on September 1, 1991. The length of the article is 2595 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: In re Helga Wanglie. (a long term patient in vegetative state whose husband chose not to terminate care) (column)
Author: Alexander Morgan Capron
Publication: The Hastings Center Report (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 1991
Publisher: Hastings Center
Volume: v21Issue: n5Page: p26(3)

Article Type: column

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This digital document is an article from Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed., brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 401 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The third edition of this authoritative, comprehensive, in-depth medical guide features information on medical topics in language accessible to adult laypersons. Disease/disorder articles typically cover definition; description; causes and symptoms; diagnosis; treatments; prevention; and more. Test/treatment articles typically cover definition; purposes; precautions; preparation; risks; normal and abnormal results; and much more. ... Read more

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Having been originally introduced as a term to facilitate discussion of a specific group of patients regarded as entering a state of unawareness following coma, the 'Persistent Vegetative State' (PVS) has established itself as an apparently discrete medical condition with clear-cut implications for ethicists and lawyers that exceed any scientifically based understanding. As a consequence of this upgrading, conclusions drawn about the status and hence the management of this uncommon condition have been increasingly extended to other patients with much more common forms of disability.

Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Right to Life News, published by National Right to Life Committee, Inc. on April 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1781 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Pope John Paul II Affirms Obligation to Feed Patients; in the "Vegetative" State.
Publication: National Right to Life News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2004
Publisher: National Right to Life Committee, Inc.
Volume: 31Issue: 4Page: NA

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This digital document is an article from Medical Law's Regan Report, published by Medical Law Publishing on December 1, 2009. The length of the article is 605 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: NY: court upheld summary judgment for doctor: failure to show cause of Pt.'s vegetative state.(Medical Law Cases of Note)
Author: A. David Tammelleo
Publication: Medical Law's Regan Report (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2009
Publisher: Medical Law Publishing
Volume: 42Issue: 12Page: NA

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This digital document is an article from Issues in Law & Medicine, published by National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc. on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 5018 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Papal allocution on caring for persons in a "vegetative state".
Author: Robert Barry
Publication: Issues in Law & Medicine (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc.
Volume: 20Issue: 2Page: 155(10)

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This digital document is an article from Issues in Law & Medicine, published by National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc. on March 22, 1991. The length of the article is 4164 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Consciousness, coma, and the vegetative state: physical basis and definitional character.
Author: Christopher M. De Giorgio
Publication: Issues in Law & Medicine (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1991
Publisher: National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc.
Volume: 6Issue: n4Page: 361-371

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The miracles of modern medicine have created scenarios in which patients remain dependent on life-sustaining treatments for years. Possibly, one of the most dramatic examples of such a clinical scenario is the vegetative state (VS), a clinical condition that occurs when an individual enters a neurological state marked by periods of wakefulness and arousal but without associated demonstrable awareness/consciousness. There is extensive debate as to whether assisted nutrition and hydration (ANH) should be withdrawn from patients in VS, permanent or otherwise. This book will provide cutting edge information to many scientists and clinicians interested in this clinical topic. It could also be a source of anthropological, philosophical and ethical reflection. The many dilemmas raised by the medical, religious, ethical and societal response to persons in VS go well beyond the clinical condition itself and have profound implications for the fundamental values in our global society. It is for this reason that the authors thought it was important to also provide a vehicle, not only for scientific and bioethical reflections, but also for the religious views and tenants of Judeo-Christian thought on the controversial topic of VS and, inherent in that conversation, the controversy of withdrawal and withholding of care.

IOS Press is an international science, technical and medical publisher of high-quality books for academics, scientists, and professionals in all fields.

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-Biomedicine
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This digital document is an article from Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, published by American Association of Neuroscience Nurses on October 1, 1997. The length of the article is 6972 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The use of the content methodology process (CMP) could provide a comprehensive method to systematically explore research and clinical knowledge in order to develop valid assessment tools and therapeutic approaches in nursing. This method, using five clearly defined steps, was utilized to assess the care of patients with postcomatose unawareness/vegetative state (PCU/VS). Two valuable tools to assess the abilities of these patients were identified using this method. Sensory regulation techniques incorporated into the routine care of these patients may improve their final outcome.

Citation Details
Title: Postcomatose unawareness/vegetative state following severe brain injury: a content methodology.
Author: Diane L. Duff
Publication: Journal of Neuroscience Nursing (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 1997
Publisher: American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
Volume: v29Issue: n5Page: p305(9)

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This digital document is an article from The Hastings Center Report, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2006. The length of the article is 818 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Shades of gray: new insights into the vegetative state.(Clinical report)
Author: Joseph J. Fins
Publication: The Hastings Center Report (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 36Issue: 6Page: 8(1)

Article Type: Clinical report

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This digital document is an article from National Right to Life News, published by National Right to Life Committee, Inc. on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 767 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Deadline Looming For Terri Schindler-Schiavo.
Publication: National Right to Life News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: National Right to Life Committee, Inc.
Volume: 32Issue: 3Page: 20

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Every day, thousands of people quietly face decisions as agonizing as those made famous in the Terri Schiavo case. Throughout that controversy, all kinds of people—politicians, religious leaders, legal and medical experts—made emphatic statements about the facts and offered even more certain opinions about what should be done. To many, courts were either ordering Terri's death by starvation or vindicating her constitutional rights. Both sides called for simple answers. If That Ever Happens to Me details why these simple answers were not right for Terri Schiavo and why they are not right for end-of-life decisions today.

Lois Shepherd looks behind labels like "starvation," "care," or "medical treatment" to consider what care and feeding really mean, when feeding tubes might be removed, and why disability groups, the faithful, and even the dying themselves often suggest end-of-life solutions that they might later regret. For example, Shepherd cautions against living wills as a pat answer. She provides evidence that demanding letter-perfect documents can actually weaken, rather than bolster, patient choice.

The actions taken and decisions made during Terri Schiavo's final years will continue to have repercussions for thousands of others—those nearing death, their families, health-care professionals, attorneys, lawmakers, clergy, media, researchers, and ethicists. If That Ever Happens to Me is an excellent choice for anyone interested in end-of-life law, policy, and ethics—particularly readers seeking a deeper understanding of the issues raised by Terri Schiavo's case. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Balanced, Thoughful, Thought-Provoking
Shepherd's book is a readable, thoughtful, balanced look at the strange, sad case of Terri Schiavo, peeling back the media attention and hysteria to look at the fundamental aspects of how should we treat such cases from the viewpoint of patients, loved ones and society as a whole.The author strikes the right balance of legal and bio-ethical expertise and just plain common sense, offering suggestions that differentiate between those patients in permanent vegetative states (as Terri was) and those terminally ill, profoundly disabled or in states of minimal consciousness.One of the book's great attributes is Shepherd's willingness (rare in my experience) to second-guess even her own suggestions, while at the same time recognizing that everyone comes to this issue with differing viewpoints, insights, fears and beliefs.Her approach of thoughtful, factual, almost individualized assessment of such difficult cases seems clear-headed, reasonable and a guiding light for our policy-makers.Highly, highly recommended.

Highly Readable, Highly Recommended
I am surprised to be among the first reviewers of this fine, thought-provoking book. Perhaps I shouldn't be -- it is, after all, a university press publication but it deserves a much wider audience.

The author focuses on the tragic (and highly publicized) case of Terri Schiavo as a springboard for a broader, in-depth examination of the complex issues surrounding the treatment of patients in a "permanent vegetative state" (not the ideal term but one which has entered the medical lexicon). As a law professor, Shepherd is able to explain the reasoning behind various courts' decisions in this area and the significance of relevant legislation, legal concepts and documents (such as "living wills"). Unlike the typical lawyer, however, she does so in a way which is clearly understandable to the layperson (but without dumbing it down). And the law, though important, is not the heart of the book. Instead, the author takes a multidisciplinary approach (she is also an associate professor of public health sciences) and draws upon numerous sources and perspectives in considering the medical, ethical, philosophical and cultural aspects of end-of-life care.

From time to time, Shepherd adopts the first person point of view, using examples from her own life to illustrate a particular point. Normally I cringe when authors do this but perhaps due to the intimate nature of the subject matter, she pulls it off -- the device is especially effective when she discusses the changes in her own thinking over the years as she went through the process of drafting a living will for herself. And the book as a whole resonated with me because it comes across so clearly that the author has struggled with these issues on a very personal level (not necessarily because it has happened to someone she knows but simply because, as the book's title suggests, it could happen to any one of us). Shepherd writes not only as a specialist in the field of bioethics but as a daughter, mother, spouse and member of society -- her passion and compassion shine through (and in elegant prose to boot).

After a balanced, animated discussion of each chapter's topic, Shepherd leaves you in no doubt what her own position is -- but with a refreshing sense of humility and no claim to being certain that she is right. Indeed, ultimately what she offers are not final answers to specific questions (which in any case would rapidly be overtaken by events in an ever-changing world) but an approach which urges each of us to recognize our own particular responsibilities and to focus on care and respect for the patient and the patient's family (and what those terms might mean for someone in a permanent vegetative state). She doesn't shy away from criticizing various participants in the Schiavo case for their actions and for neglecting their responsibilities, whether they be family members, doctors and other healthcare professionals, lawyers, politicians, religious leaders, special interest groups or members of the media. My perhaps overly optimistic hope is that others similarly situated in the future will act differently if they've read "If That Ever Happens to Me". (And, having read the book, I now know that I need to revisit the terms of my old living will, think about executing a health care power of attorney, and have a long talk with my family.)

A final note -- if presentation is important to you, you won't be disappointed. The volume is beautifully designed and a delight to hold and read. (Sorry Amazon, I haven't succumbed to Kindle yet!) ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Right to Life News, published by National Right to Life Committee, Inc. on October 1, 2003. The length of the article is 513 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Deadline Approaches for Withdrawal of Terri's Feeding Tube.(case of Terri Schiavo)
Author: Dave Andrusko
Publication: National Right to Life News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2003
Publisher: National Right to Life Committee, Inc.
Volume: 30Issue: 10Page: 6

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