Official: Patients' Murders After Katrina Not 'Mercy Killings'

If they killed those people
esp without telling them what they were doing
they deserve a syringe of their own

Rocket River

 

If the patient didn't sign off on it, then those people had no right to play God and should be brought up on murder charges.

 

Man, that's rough.

 

sad. can't imagine being stuck in a hostpital in that situation. some of you guys are so judgemental. paitients not signing off? I would put money on these paitients not even being able to communicate.

 

OK, if your unconscious lying in a hospital, do you want someone else deciding whether you live or die? Were not talking about a family member pulling the plug or a living will, we are talking hospital staff deciding who lives and dies.

The power went out in the Medical Center during tropical storm Allison. The staff in those hospitals didn't start terminating patients.

 

The story says they did it so they could evacuate the place faster. It is hard for me to be really judgemental knowing that they were in the middle of hell.

 

Very true, which leads back to how the aftermath of the storm was handled. I wouldn't send these folks away to prison, but you have to look at the issue in order to prevent such a situation in the future.

 

that's the point, its not that they may or may not have gotten consent, I just can't imagine being in a situation like that.


this is a great debate topic by the way. the classic, benefit the individual vs. the greater good.

 

Interesting topic.

Many times I have patients that I know are suffering and I hope that they do pass, just to ease the misery. Interestingly enough patients' families always pray for a miracle and many times I tell them that the miracle is the patient dying.

However, in this case I think that if the patients were euthanized (especially if the staff wanted to get out of the hospital faster) that this is wrong and the staff involved should be held accountable.
Now if the staff was adminstering narcotics for palliative care, then that seems okay. The article implies that the staff was adminstering lethal doses, which is never okay.

 

It looks like everyone's covering his/her ass. It would've been much different if they witnessed some of their patients deaths and had to act immediately. They decided by themselves to euthanize their patients.

The details will reveal whether they'll get 5 years or 15.

Anyways, I feel for anyone who had to live and act through that ordeal.

 

i'm surprised that the DAs are going for a full-fledged murder charge. if these doctors euthanized these patients just to get out asap then i think that the charge should stand. however, how do we not know that the doctors tried everything they could to help the patients and, when at a dead end, had no choice but to euthanize the patients? we already know that there was no way to rescue the patients out of new orleans. perhaps it was best for them to be euthanized rather than for them to wait and wait for death to come via drowning.

 

So, what would you do? You are stuck in Jonah's hell and you can't get out because there are other people there that are helpless that you have to get out because they cannot get out themslves. And you fear that if you wait for them to have the ability to get out, they may have already died after suffering and you might die waiting for help to arrive so that they can be taken care of. So, what do you do? Just jump in a boat and paddle away and leave them to suffer a miserable death? Or do you just stay there without any knowledge of what is coming next and wait for the next wave to come and take you and them to your watery tomb?

This will be an interesting case to follow.

That doctor that jumped in the boat and just left should be brought up on charges. What a selfish, heartless act.

 

I heard one of the doctors charged that those patients had Do Not Resucitate releases. In which case if a patient is dying because there is no power to the equipment keeping them alive and they've signed a DNR is that murder then to speed up the inevitable, especially if you can't make them comfortable with AC and clean water?

I have a hard time judging these people. Yes doctors should never kill patients but considering the situation where these patients might die anyway but torturously as they dehydrate in 100 degree plus temps surrounded by fetid water or suffocate because the oxygen isn't working I'm not sure making sure they pass on painlessly is the wrong call.

One more thought. Given that people were trapped for days and there is no clean water or refridgeration to maintain food and medicine do you then make sure to keep everyone alive, even though some patients are very likely going to die anyway or do you ration supplies for those who are most likely going to make it? In that case would it make sense to euthanize the worse off? I don't have a good answer to that but throwing that out there in regard to looking at the situation.

 

This is why I'm not a donor
I don't want to Dr deciding for me
"OH WELL . . RR's quality of life. .or chances for life are slim
let's gut him for parts now . .. . it is better for more people"

If it was my kin . . .. I'd be out for murder myself

These are the extreme opposite of heroes

Yea . . cover your *sses . . make sure it is easy on themselves
If i'm alive. . I have a shot . .. to have my shot taken from me
because someone *thinks* they know better is WRONG

I'm quite sure that those people are glad they died
so that these folx could get out a little faster
I mean . .I'm sure they did not want to be a burden


NO . .. not at all . .If the folx were like KILL ME . . kewl
but
To do it. . on there own . . no matter what it is WRONG

Rocket River
. . guilty conscience . .no worries DR we got a syringe that will heal all your hurts

 

RR have you heard of the term "triage"? Medical personal make life and death decisions all the time based upon the probability of which patients have the best chance of survival. Would you rather doctors devote as much time on a patient that is likely not to survive and die in horrible agony as on a patient that could be saved?

As for not being a donor personally I think that's a very selfish and paranoid position. Doctors aren't just going to harvest someone's organs without consent. Even if you can't give consent the final decision goes to your family. Also considering that if you're dead why not use what's left of your body to help others? If you or a family members need an organ you better hope that someone else out there isn't as selfish or paranoid.

As someone who once needed a blood transfusion I'm more than happy to give my blood and when I die I hope that my organs and anything else left of my body can be used to help others.

Although I wouldn't recommend using my joints as I've done a lot of wear and tear on them.

 

I believe these mercy killings were warranted.

 

Not enough evidence in this thread or the article to make any kind of guess as to guilt or innocence.

Doctors have to make life and death decisions all the time.

Wait and see.