Health Care Ethics

(Bioethics)

Module #14 Student Activity Sheet

Anthony C. Badili
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Lesson Title: The Human Organism Materials:

Learning Targets: Pen, paper, index card, book, and class List
At the end of the module, students will be able to:
1. Differentiate between “life” as defined in either a biological
or biographical sense; References:
2. Define the concept and criteria of brain death; and,
3. Define PVS and state the characteristics of the syndrome. Ethics of Health Care: A Guide for Clinical
Practice Fourth Edition, Raymond S. Edge, J.
Randall Groves

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

Brain Teaser: Differentiate in Vitro Fertilization to surrogacy.

Traditionalism
Answers:
 ___________________________________________
 ___________________________________________
 ___________________________________________

Modernism
Answers:
 ___________________________________________
 ___________________________________________
 ___________________________________________

B. MAIN LESSON

What does "brain death" mean?

Brain death is a legal definition of death. It is the complete stopping of all brain function and cannot be reversed. It means
that, because of extreme and serious trauma or injury to the brain, the body's blood supply to the brain is blocked, and the
brain dies. Brain death is death. It is permanent.

The diagnosis of brain death is defined as "death based on the absence of all neurologic function." Families who have had
a loved one declared brain dead may have questions about what the term really means.

With the modern technology of respiratory and cardiac support, in certain cases of severe trauma we can keep the
remainder of the body’s cells alive for days and months with no brain activity being present.

Harvard medical School Brain Death Test

 Unreceptivity and unresponsiveness
 No movements or breathing
 No reflexes
 Flat E.E.G of confirmatory value

Persistent Vegetative States (PVS)

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 Health Care Ethics
(Bioethics)

Module #14 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

The vegetative state is a chronic condition that preserves the ability to maintain blood pressure (BP), respiration, and
cardiac function, but not cognitive function. Hypothalamic and medullary brain stem functions remain intact to support
cardiorespiratory and autonomic functions and are sufficient for survival if medical and nursing care is adequate. The
cortex is severely damaged (eliminating cognitive function), but the reticular activating system (RAS) remains functional
(making wakefulness possible). Midbrain or pontine reflexes may or may not be present. Patients have no awareness of
self and interact with the environment only via reflexes. Seizure activity may be present but not be clinically evident.

Traditionally, a vegetative state that lasts > 1 month is considered to be a persistent vegetative state. However, a
diagnosis of persistent vegetative state does not imply permanent disability because in very rare cases (eg, after
traumatic brain injury), patients can improve, reaching a minimally conscious state or a higher level of consciousness.

KEYPOINTS
 No recognizable cognitive function
 Characterized by permanent eyes-open state of unconsciousness
 Patient is not comatose
 Patient is awake but unaware
 Irreversible loss of all neocortical function
 Brain stem functions remain
 Patients can breathe on their own
 Elicitable reflexes, spontaneous respirations, and reactions to external stimuli
 Recovery rather remote

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

You will answer and rationalize this by yourself. This will be recorded as your quiz. One (1) point will be given to correct
answer and another one (1) point for the correct ratio. Superimpositions or erasures in you answer/ratio is not allowed.

1. When we speak of life in the sense of relationships, dreams, and expectations for the future, we are speaking of?
A. Biographical life
B. Biological life
C. Ordinary life
D. Extraordinary life
A
Answer: ________
Rationale:________________________________________________________________________________________
When we speak of life in the sense of relationships, dreams, and expectations for the future, we are speaking
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
of Biographical life
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. In which of the following cases did the New Jersey Supreme court rule that the state has no right to order respiratory
support to be continued?
A. Nancy Beth Cruzan
B. Baby Doe
C. Karen Ann Quinlan
D. None of the above
C
Answer: ________
Rationale:________________________________________________________________________________________
Karen Ann Quinlan did the New Jersey Supreme court rule that the state has no right to order respiratory
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
support to be continued
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Criteria for brain death given by Harvard Medical School are which of the following?
A. No movements or breathing
B. Unresponsiveness
C. Flat EEG of confirmatory value

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF PHINMA EDUCATION 2

 Health Care Ethics
(Bioethics)

Module #14 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

D. All of the above

D
Answer: ________
Rationale:________________________________________________________________________________________
Criteria for brain death given by Harvard Medical School are no movements or breathing, unresponsiveness,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
and flat EEG of confirmatory value
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. In certain cases of brain trauma, we can keep the remainder of the body’s cells alive for days and months with no brain
activity present. This case is considered as.
A. Persistent Vegetative State
B. Brain Death
C. Bedridden
D. Brain Activity
Answer: ________
B
Rationale:________________________________________________________________________________________
Brain Death is cases of brain trauma; we can keep the remainder of the body’s cells alive for days and months
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
with no brain activity present.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. This is characterized by a permanent eyes state of consciousness with no recognizable cognitive function:
A. Persistent Vegetative State
B. Brain Death
C. Bedridden
D. Brain Activity
Answer: ________
A
Rationale:________________________________________________________________________________________
Persistent Vegetative State is characterized by a permanent eyes state of consciousness with no recognizable
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
cognitive function
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

AL Activity: Minute Paper

1) What was the most useful or the most meaningful thing you have learned this session?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) What question(s) do you have as we end this session?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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