Rules In Catholic Hospital And Life Support?

[dailey]

I was hoping someone could give me some information regarding the rules of a Catholic hospital and life support.

My grandmother is on life support (breathing tube) and she has problems with her blood pressure falling in the low range. Well the nurses informed me today that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place because the pain killers/anxiety medication that they give her drops her blood pressure even further and they don’t want to risk it. So now what?? I was always under the assumption that it is unethical for a Catholic hospital (or any hospital, for that matter) to leave someone on life support without making sure they are comfortable? My grandmother is alert but not able to communicate so she cannot tell us how she feels. Has anyone been in this situation or have any words of wisdom? thanks

 

[Trishie]

Declaration on Euthanasia
By Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Issue: October 2002
%between%

"There is a clear distinction between setting out to kill a patient and setting out to relieve a patient’s pain. There is a difference of nature and not just of motive or intention, between selecting a dose of narcotic which is calculated to be enough to kill, and a dose which is regulated by the need to make pain bearable. "

"… it is fitting to recall a declaration by Pius XII, which retain its full force. In answer to a group of doctors who had put the question: “Is the suppression of pain and consciousness by the use of narcotics. . .permitted by religion and morality to the doctor and the patient (even at the approach of death and if one foresees that the use of narcotics will shorten life)?”

The Pope said: "If no other means exist, and if, in the given circumstances this does not prevent the carrying out of other religious and moral duties, Yes.“5 In this case, of course death is in no way intended or sought even if the risk of it is reasonably taken; the intention is simply to relieve pain effectively, using for this purpose painkillers available to medicine.”

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19800505_euthanasia_en.html

 

[stephe1987]

I don’t think there is anything that requires a person to stay on life support, especially if they are uncomfortable, or are comatose and it is a financial burden on the family. The Catholic Church wants everyone to respect life from conception until natural death, and taking someone off life support simply means they’ll get a natural death (nothing wrong with that).

But I do think it’s important that she is comfortable, that she gets all the pain medication she needs. I don’t think unnecessary suffering should be forced on anyone, although if she is suffering I hope she has the state of mind to offer it up to the cross, to repent for sins so her suffering isn’t wasted.

And I also don’t think people should deliberately avoid medication that will help them, unless it’s like chemotherapy and they’re on their way out and don’t want to bother because it’s too painful (a few exceptions).

 

[St_Francis]

…And I also don’t think people should deliberately avoid medication that will help them, unless it’s like chemotherapy and they’re on their way out and don’t want to bother because it’s too painful (a few exceptions).

Catholic teaching is that people are permitted to refrain from “extra-ordinary” medical care *if *it poses a grave burden. So, taking antibiotics would generally be a small burden under any circumstances (except impending death from other causes), but using a ventilator could cause a serious financial burden, for example, and so can be refused or stopped.

The main point being that a person dies of what is wrong with them or through *treating *what is wrong with them, but *not *die from lack of *ordinary *care: eg, they should not die *because of *lack of food or water.

Pain should always be treated because of the possibility that a dying person would fall into despair; the amount of painkiller *needed *may cause unconsciousness or hasten death, but these latter fall under the principle of double effect, where a moral good is intended, but has the side-effect.

Neither death nor unconsciousness may be *intended. *

 

[drfye]

I don’t think there is anything that requires a person to stay on life support, especially if they are uncomfortable, or are comatose and it is a financial burden on the family. The Catholic Church wants everyone to respect life from conception until natural death, and taking someone off life support simply means they’ll get a natural death (nothing wrong with that).

But I do think it’s important that she is comfortable, that she gets all the pain medication she needs. I don’t think unnecessary suffering should be forced on anyone, although if she is suffering I hope she has the state of mind to offer it up to the cross, to repent for sins so her suffering isn’t wasted.

And I also don’t think people should deliberately avoid medication that will help them, unless it’s like chemotherapy and they’re on their way out and don’t want to bother because it’s too painful (a few exceptions).

do you mean something along the lines of signing a DNR ?

 

[sweetpetunia]

I was hoping someone could give me some information regarding the rules of a Catholic hospital and life support.

My grandmother is on life support (breathing tube) and she has problems with her blood pressure falling in the low range. Well the nurses informed me today that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place because the pain killers/anxiety medication that they give her drops her blood pressure even further and they don’t want to risk it. So now what?? I was always under the assumption that it is unethical for a Catholic hospital (or any hospital, for that matter) to leave someone on life support without making sure they are comfortable? My grandmother is alert but not able to communicate so she cannot tell us how she feels. Has anyone been in this situation or have any words of wisdom? thanks

Talk to her doctor, and get more information, especially about all possible options and their consequences. I don’t think you have enough info based on what the nurses have said. In terms of the blood pressure, how low is “even further” and what is the risk? Are the meds scheduled regularly, or are they prn (as needed)? Can the dosage be titrated (reduced slightly to reduce side effects while still maintaining pain relief efficacy)? Are there other meds that might possibly not have so much of an adverse effect on her blood pressure? I’m sure you can think of more. I’d say first step is find out all you can, and go from there.

 

[dailey]

Thanks everyone for responding, I really appreciate it. I will be talking to her doctor tomorrow.