Question

a) What does it mean to be in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) (USE YOUR OWN WORDS)? b) Describe the ethical dilemma related to continuing care vs. passive euthanasia within the context of a persistent vegetative state. Use two moral principles to guide your position.

Answer 1

• If someone is in a persistent vegetative state, they are unable to think, speak, or move because they have severe brain damage, and their condition is not likely to improve.The persistent vegetative state is defined as a vegetative state present at 1 month after acute traumatic or nontraumatic brain injury, or present for at least 1 month in patients with degenerative or metabolic disorders or developmental malformations.The vegetative state is a disorder of consciousness in which wakefulness is retained but awareness of self and environment is entirely absent.In a vegetative state the person is still unconscious. They have no awareness of themselves or their environment.
• The issues in the euthanasia debate usually revolve around patients who are terminally ill and/or suffering intractable pain. However, pain is not the only determinant of an intolerable existence and the problems become more complex when existential quality of life issues are the focus.
• In my opinion, I would say that no one has the right to end another person life no matter what pain they undergo. Taking away a human's life is considered immoral and unethical but yes,if a patient is in vegetative state he/she is anyway half dead and to stop his/her suffering sometimes this step needs to be taken despite knowing that its morally wrong to take someone's life because no one has the right to do that.
• Active euthanasia is legally considered homicide. Another intervention and approach to euthanasia could be through the use of analgesic means. The use of morphine or other anesthetic medication could be used to allow the patient to die or hasten their dying process. I consider the latter procedure to be more humane than that of the other because it is morally wrong to kill a person, rather it's humane for someone to die naturally.