25, 1990, Terri Schiavo suffered a cardiac arrest caused by hypokalemia induced by an eating disorder. Severe anoxic encephalopathy ensued. Several months after the incident, computed tomography revealed severe atrophy of both cerebral hemispheres, and electroencephalography showed no evidence of cortical activity.
What caused Terri Schiavo potassium imbalance?
But when people have bulimia, which is what Terri Schiavo is reported to have had, people eat large amounts and then purge themselves by either vomiting or using laxatives extensively. Bulimia can cause a sudden dehydration of the body that causes an imbalance in electrolytes, and particularly potassium.
What caused Terri Schiavo brain damage?
On February 25, 1990, at age 26, Schiavo went into cardiac arrest at her home in St. Petersburg, Florida. She was successfully resuscitated, but had massive brain damage due to lack of oxygen to her brain and was left comatose.
When was Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube removed?
Schiavo, he said, had been living at the hospice here since her feeding tube was removed March 18. David Gibbs, a lawyer for Ms. Schiavo’s parents, said her brother and sister were with Ms. Schiavo until just before she died..
Is vegetative state permanent?
Some people recover from a vegetative state, but it is usually not a complete recovery. The brain damage will likely result in permanent disabilities. Recovery is most likely if the cause of the vegetative state is an injury or a reversible condition such as low blood sugar or a drug overdose.
Did Terri Schiavo breathe on her own?
Schiavo’s heart stopped beating late one night when she was 26. The ensuing brain damage left her able to breathe on her own but not, most doctors said, to think or to have emotions.
How much did it cost to keep Terri Schiavo alive?
Schiavo resides at a nonprofit hospice that has assumed part of the cost of her care. Medicaid pays for the rest. According to this AP story, keeping her alive costs about $80,000 per year, and at least $350,000 of the malpractice settlement awarded to Schiavo and her husband in 1992 has been spent on her care.
How much did Terri Schiavo weigh?
Opponents of removing Schiavo’s feeding tube objected to what they called a court-mandated death by starvation. The autopsy report, however, said she weighed 112 pounds at her death, and that an analysis of her fatty tissue indicated she did not die for lack of food.
What did Terri Schiavo’s husband and parents disagree about?
Multiple doctors diagnosed her as being in a persistent vegetative state. Her husband Michael Schiavo argued that his wife would never have wanted to live like that and attempted to get the feeding tube removed. Her parents disagreed and fought to keep her alive.
What did the autopsy say about Terri Schiavo?
The autopsy report on Terri Schiavo, the brain damaged woman at the centre of a “right to die” controversy in the United States, lends weight to the claim that she was in a persistent vegetative state and had irreversible brain damage.
How long did Terri Schiavo go without oxygen?
On February 25, 1990, Terri Schiavo collapsed at her Florida home from what doctors said was a potassium imbalance. After she collapsed, her brain did not receive oxygen for about five minutes.
Why was Terri law unconstitutional?
In his 23 page decision, Judge Baird, who Governor Bush had earlier asked to remove himself from the case, said that “Terri’s law” was unconstitutional because it gave legislative power to the governor and because it unjustifiably authorised the governor to summarily deprive Florida citizens of their constitutional …
Did they remove Terri Schiavos feeding tube?
Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube was removed once in 2001, after a court sided with her husband; it was reinserted under another court order two days later. In 2003, the tube was disconnected for six days, but the Florida Legislature passed a law empowering Gov. Jeb Bush to order it replaced.
Was Terri Schiavo on a ventilator?
She was on a ventilator for the first few weeks but ultimately was taken off mechanical life support and had been breathing on her own since that time. In June of 1990, Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband, was appointed her plenary guardian by the courts.
Can someone in a vegetative state cry?
Even though those in a persistent vegetative state lose their higher brain functions, other key functions such as breathing and circulation remain relatively intact. Spontaneous movements may occur, and the eyes may open in response to external stimuli. Individuals may even occasionally grimace, cry, or laugh.
Do people in a vegetative state feel pain?
To the question “Do you think that patients in a minimally conscious state can feel pain?” nearly all interviewed caregivers answered “yes” (96% of the medical doctors and 97% of the paramedical caregivers). Women and religious caregivers reported more often that minimally conscious patients may experience pain.
Are people in a vegetative state aware?
People in a vegetative state can open their eyes, but they cannot speak or do things that require thought or conscious intention, and they have no awareness of themselves or their environment.
What does it mean when a person is in a vegetative state?
A vegetative state is when a person is awake but is showing no signs of awareness. A person in a vegetative state may: open their eyes. wake up and fall asleep at regular intervals. have basic reflexes (such as blinking when they’re startled by a loud noise or withdrawing their hand when it’s squeezed hard)
Did Terri Schiavo communicate?
And three states have enacted laws since Schiavo’s death that allow the terminally ill to end their lives — laws for which Terri would not have qualified since she herself was not competent or able to communicate in any way.
Did Terri Schiavo have a living will?
Schiavo did not have a living will, a court was required to determine what her wishes were. Mr. Schiavo testified, along with others, that Terri had expressed her wishes that she not be kept alive in her current state.
Does insurance cover vegetative state?
Disability benefits ensure an income, even when a person is in a coma or persistent vegetative state (PVS). This income, which may be paid through Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), can help cover medical expenses.
How much does it cost to keep someone in a vegetative state?
For children in a persistent vegetative state, the estimated annual cost of care at home is $129,000 (±$51,000) for the first year and $97,000 for subsequent years126.
Did Terri Schiavo have kids?
The couple met in a dentist’s office and began a relationship after Terri Schiavo was already in a nursing home. They have two young children. “I would think so much less of Michael had he walked away from her,” Jodi Schiavo said in the NBC interview. “That is one of the qualities in him that I so admire.”
How might the Schiavo case affect future courts decisions of the same nature?
How might the Schiavo case affect future court decisions of the same nature? Future court decisions will use it as a guide so that the case doesn’t drag on. Describe the difference between ordinary and extraordinary means to keep a person alive.
What is the inscription on Terri Schiavo’s tombstone and its significance?
TAMPA — The inscription on the grave marker belonging to Terri Schiavo that reads “I kept my promise” is simply a message from her husband to his dead wife and is not meant to anger her family, the woman’s brother-in-law said Tuesday.