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What Actually Happened: An Informed Review of the Linares Incident

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2021

Gilbert M. Goldman ,
Karen M. Stratton  and
Max Douglas Brown
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Extract

Last April, 23 year-old Rudy Linares disconnected his 15-month-old comatose son, Sammy, from the mechanical ventilator that was maintaining the infant's life. He then used a gun to keep hospital staff from interfering while he withdrew the machine, allowing his son to die of acute respiratory failure. The death of this infant stirred great controversy among doctors, nurses, lawyers and ethicists. It also generated much discussion in the news media. The clearest common denominator of this discussion has been the willingness of commentators to advance opinions and interpretations without knowledge of the facts of the case. Some of the opinions have been critical of the hospital, the doctors, and/or the nurses. The present report is not intended to answer such criticism. The report will simply provide the facts and legal opinions as to the case. To the extent this information leads the reader to understand or agree with the management of the case the report will serve as a defense of these actions. To the extent it leads to rejection or criticism of the management, the report will support the detractors.

Type
Article
Information
Law, Medicine and Healthcare , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , Winter 1989 , pp. 298 - 307
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 1989

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