Induced Coma In Suffering

[Darrel]

Chemically induced coma seems like a decent way to respect life and stop horrible suffering in the terminally ill. What does the Church say about this sort of option? Why is it never spoken of? Is it expensive? This sort of thing is like option number three to me and seems fine in principal if it’s voluntary unless I’m missing something. It’s been a while since I have posted here, nice to see that people are still here in numbers

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

I don’t know what the Church would say, but I am a little leery because a medically induced coma would deprive a person of their thinking. Pain can be managed without knocking a person out cold. I want to be aware until my last breath, God Willing. I want to be able to pray, receive my last Communion, squeeze the hand of my beloved, nod at my children, look upon a Crucifix.

If God were to put me in a coma, I would not have these last pleasures, but that would be His decision.

There are good reasons to place someone under heavy sedation–my father was in one last year when he died. However, it was not to keep him from pain, it was to keep him still while he healed. God took him from us while he was under that sedation, but that had not been planned. Thank God, he had been able, previous to the treatment, to make his last confession, and receive Communion as part of Extreme Unction.

 

[centurionguard]

Chemically induced coma seems like a decent way to respect life and stop horrible suffering in the terminally ill. What does the Church say about this sort of option? Why is it never spoken of? Is it expensive? This sort of thing is like option number three to me and seems fine in principal if it’s voluntary unless I’m missing something. It’s been a while since I have posted here, nice to see that people are still here in numbers

I’ve never heard of Drug Induced Coma’s used strictly for the purposed to alleviate acute suffering for the terminally ill in the medical profession.

Some strong pain medications used on terminally ill cancer patients might make it look like these patients are comatose but being a cancer patient myself I’ve never really seen this.

My only recollection is my belated father after his initial traumatic fall he wound up in a Neuro Intensive Care Unit for fourteen months. At the onset after the immediate accident he had to be heavily sedated in a Comatose state to stop him from thrashing about due to a severe neck injury that severed his spine so the doctors could prepare him for surgery which left him paralyzed from head to foot and on full life support.

Other than similar medical reasons I see no need to leave a suffering terminally ill patient comatose for the remainder of their life. Medical Science has evolved enough now that it can humanely alleviate most physical suffering with drugs without the need of putting a person in a coma.

Their is an aspect of suffering we all need to embrace that brings dignity to humanity if it is embraced in Christ Jesus.

 

[1ke]

A medically induced coma is only used for a few very specific conditions, mostly related to traumatic brain injury.

 

[CarrieH]

Those who are truly in a medically-induced coma must be maintained on life support such as a ventilator because the drugs make them incapable of breathing adequately on their own. It also deprives a person of being awake, aware, and able to communicate. Having worked as an ICU nurse for over a decade, I can tell you that this is hardly a humane way to spend one’s final days. As 1ke said, this is done for life-threatening trauma. It is not a form of advanced sedation or comfort-care. You asked if it is expensive…well, yes; care in an ICU to maintain an induced coma would cost several thousand dollars a day just for the hospital, plus the cost of medications, supplies, physicians, etc. etc.

You asked, and now you know. God bless.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I don’t know what the Church would say, but I am a little leery because a medically induced coma would deprive a person of their thinking…

From what I have read that is the Church’s position. Medication may be used to relieve pain, but not to the point of depriving the patient of consciousness and the ability make decisions.

 

[Corki]

From what I have read that is the Church’s position. Medication may be used to relieve pain, but not to the point of depriving the patient of consciousness and the ability make decisions.

No, that’s not correct. If it were, general anesthesia would not be permitted since it “deprives” as patient of conciousness. And most heavy-duty pain meds have the effect of reducind lucidity and the capabilty of clear thinking.

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

No, that’s not correct. If it were, general anesthesia would not be permitted since it “deprives” as patient of conciousness. And most heavy-duty pain meds have the effect of reducind lucidity and the capabilty of clear thinking.

General anethesia is used to temporarily make a patient unconscious in order to preform surgery or to keep a person immobile temporarily. What the OP is referring to is the use of a medically induced coma to permanently knock someone out until that person dies “naturally” in order to avoid severe pain.

 

[Newbie2]

No, that’s not correct. If it were, general anesthesia would not be permitted since it “deprives” as patient of conciousness. And most heavy-duty pain meds have the effect of reducind lucidity and the capabilty of clear thinking.

Indeed.

So we cannot use “deprives one of clear thinking” as a criteria, as the Church seems OK with the use of medication that does so as a perhaps unintended side effect. It would seem, though, that using such a drug so as to purposefully deprive one of clear thinking would not be OK.

 

[Spirithound]

Chemically induced coma seems like a decent way to respect life and stop horrible suffering in the terminally ill. What does the Church say about this sort of option? Why is it never spoken of? Is it expensive? This sort of thing is like option number three to me and seems fine in principal if it’s voluntary unless I’m missing something. It’s been a while since I have posted here, nice to see that people are still here in numbers

The Catholic Church allows a person to take as much pain medication as is necessary to control their pain, even if this results in a hastened death, AS LONG AS the intention is not to cause death. This option is much better than an induced coma.