Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Annotated Bibliography on Life Support

Alejandra Garcia
University of Texas at El Paso










ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2
References
Bomba, P. (2001, May). Life sustaining treatment- patients & families. Retrieved October
3, 2014, from
https://www.compassionandsupport.org/index.php/for_patients_families/life-
sustaining_treatment
This fact website talks about many topics and questions someone would have
about life support. It explains about making decisions about life support, such
as if there is hope for recovery, what are the values and will treatment make
a difference. The distinction often is made between not starting treatment
and stopping treatment. The way this website helps is by helping families
understand better what life support is and what they should take into
consideration.
Health, A. (2013). A time for decisions. Ascension Health. Retrieved October
11,2014, from
http://www.ascensionhealth.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=arti
cle&id=73:a-time-for-decisions&Itemid=175
This article is about some examples of the decisions that patients and
families sometimes face. Some that they mentioned is questions that patients
or families ask, such as, what outcome should we expect? What are the
risks? What would it be to have this treatment? It also talks about how
families can change their mind and decisions over time. This article helps
because based on how the doctors answer their questions that is when it will
put people to think based on own values, and hope or even possible burdens.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 3
Landau, E. (2013, December 29). When life support is really death support. CNN.
Retrieved October 11, 2014, from
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/28/health/life-support-ethics/
This CNN news channel talks about two different families that have to go
through a rough situation. In one situation the first family wants to keep their
loved one connected to the ventilator, and the other family wants to
disconnect their loved one to honor her wishes. Even the doctors in Oakland,
California, believe in medicine cannot cure everything, though people act as
death is optional. Even though life support exists, but even that cant last
forever. This website of CNN is .com, but it is credible because it is letting
doctors from Oakland, California, explain in CNN news about situations that
have happened. This would help because it talks about both sides, which is
one family really takes into consideration their loved ones morals and the
other wants their loved one alive until their daughters heart stops beating to
proof to them that she is dead. It also helps by showing how there is two
sides of artificial life support.
Leung, R. (2004, June 21). Should doctors prolong lives artificially when the end is near?
Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dying-on-life-
support-is-it-fair/
This website talks about how people are living longer and doctors can prolong
lives artificially when the end is near. Hospitals beds are filling up with elderly
patients with no hope of recovery and no choice to avoid painful treatment.
Doctors must do everything they can to keep the patient alive unless given proof
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 4
that he/she does not want treatment that is if he/she left a living will. This will
help because it proves the point that it is always good to have a living will so
families and or doctors wont have to keep someone alive when there is no hope at
all. This .com is credible because it is CBS news, and Dr. Ken Berger from NY
hospital is talking about everything going on there.
Patterson, D. (2014, June 24). Life support: information and ethics. Retrieved October 3,
2014, from https://www.acls.net/information-and-ethics.htm
This educational article talks about the definition of life support. It explains what
mechanical ventilation is and what it does which is to sustain peoples lives that
consist of machines. They talk about pacemakers, which is also another machine
that supports a persons heartbeat when it cannot on its own. This source
definitely helps because it explains what life support really consists of. It helps by
explaining what ethics and pros and cons of life support is, which helps readers
understand better.
Throug, R., & Cist, A., & Brackett, S., & Burns, J., & Curley, M., & Danis, M., &
DeVita, M (2001). The ethics committee of the society of critical care
medicine. Recommendations for End-of-life Care in the Intensive Care Unit:,
29(12), 2332-2348. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11801837
This journal talks about that the numbers of deaths that occur in ICU after the
withdrawal of life support is increasing. Not only that but doctors notice that
families have a hard time switching from having hope and cure to the acceptance
of death and pursuit of comfort. Depending on the situation most that live on
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 5
artificial life support for a very long time the hospital transports them to hospice
or their home which ever the family wants. Which helps the patient die
comfortable with no pain and nurses will monitor them. This journal helps
because it proves how awful it can be to have someone living as a vegetable, and
slowly dying.
Unknown. (2008, November 18). Parents oppose end of care for brain-dead son. NY.
Retrieved October 2,2014, from
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27611868/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/parents-
oppose-end-care-brain-dead-son/#.VDHb0la4klI
This news article explains how the Washington hospital has asked a judge for
permission to stop treating a brain-dead 12 years old cancer patient, even though
his parents want to keep him alive. Parents asked the hospital to keep their son
alive with breathing machines and drugs until the boys heart and lungs no longer
respond. No matter what parents wanted their son to be alive. This source will
help because it talks about how there are conflicts between families and with
hospitals. It also helps by proving that life is quality vs quantity, and families need
to take in consideration their loved ones values. This .com source is credible
because it is NBC news interviewing doctors in Washington hospital about life
and death situations.
Wayne, S. (2014, January 10). Continuing life support after death- whom are we treating?
Retrieved October 6, 2014, from
http://www.amc.edu/BioethicsBlog/post.cfm/continuing-life-support-after-death-
whom-are-we-treating
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 6
This article story is about a 13 year old who becomes very ill and ends up
brain dead after a surgery. The parents want her on life support; the doctors
think it is unfair for the child due to she is in a vegetative state. The doctors
explain to the family that even on life support her body will break down
including her skin and organs, eventually the ventilator wont work. The
familys belief was to keep her body alive as long as possible. This helps
because it shows how being on artificial life support is not something
someone should want for their loved ones with no chances of having a
quality life.