Author Question: Nurse is aware that there are numerous bioethical issues involved in the practice or euthanasia. ... (Read 48 times)

tuffie · **on:** Jul 8, 2018

nurse is aware that there are numerous bioethical issues involved in the practice or euthanasia. Which of the following events most clearly constitutes active euthanasia?

A) A woman chooses not to phone 911 when her elderly husband become unconscious in the
home.
B) At his and his wife's request, a doctor provides a man with a fatal dose of phenytoin.
C) A nurse withholds cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a patient in light of the
patient's DNR order.
D) A family decides against treating their mother's sepsis because of her low potential for
recovery.

Question 2

The advent of technology has made it increasingly difficult to define the exact point at which death occurs. Which of the following is currently the most commonly-accepted criterion for death?

A) The cessation of blood circulation
B) The inability to perform respiration spontaneously
C) Persistent lack of interaction with outside stimuli
D) The cessation of brain activity

kbennett34 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 8, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Ans: B
Negative, or passive, euthanasia refers to a situation in which no extraordinary or
heroic measures are undertaken to sustain life. This includes applying DNR orders, opting not
to phone 911, or choosing to withhold treatment of an acute illness. Active euthanasia,
however, occurs in a situation in which the physician prescribes, supplies, or administers an
agent that results in death.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: D
Brain activity, with few exceptions, is said to be nonexistent when flat
electroencephalogra phic tracings are obtained over a given period, often 48 hours. After this
point, the person may be considered dead, although machines may be supporting the vital
functions of respiration and circulation. Many institutions now accept this definition of cerebral
death and use it as a basis for turning off respirators and stopping other treatments. It is also
used as a basis for determining death when there is a desire to recover organs from the patient.