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Woman in persistent vegetative state can die, rules judge

BMJ 2006; 333 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39062.472060.DB (Published 14 December 2006) Cite this as: BMJ 2006;333:1238
  1. Clare Dyer, legal correspondent
  1. 1BMJ

    A woman in a persistent vegetative state is to have artificial nutrition and hydration withdrawn to allow her to die with “dignity” after failing to respond to a drug which is said to have woken up some unconscious patients.

    England's senior family judge, Sir Mark Potter, ruled last week that doctors could lawfully withdraw all life sustaining treatment from the 53 year old mother, named only as J, who has been in a persistent vegetative state for more than three years after she had a brain haemorrhage on a family holiday in August 2003.

    Her …

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