Advance Care Planning: Case 3
Case Number:
3
A patient tells his family that he would never want to be "kept alive like a vegetable".
What is meant by the term "vegetable"?
Case Discussion:
The use of this expression is as vague as saying, "I don't want any heroics or extraordinary treatments" or, "Pull the plug if I'm ever in ...." If these types of comments in advance care planning discussions are not clarified, they are not helpful. For some patients being a "vegetable" means being in a coma, for others it means not being able to read. Gently discuss the patient’s hopes, fears, and specific preferences in order to clarify the meaning of the term and the patient’s preferences for end-of-life care.
Bioethics Topic:
Bioethics Article: