Adventures in Bringing Back the Recently Dead by David Casarett - Book Report/Review Example

Blurring the Lines between Life and Death: Saving Life or Playing Zeus? In his book, Casarett begins by telling the story of alittle girl who was dead for three hours and then miraculously brought to life by the team that was working in her. The story as he says shaped his dream to be an emergency room doctor which never happened, though the dream did not die and lived to think about becoming a doctor. He later points out another incidence where Joe, a patient who had malfunctions with the pulmonary artery died in their watch despite their tremendous trials, a story that he likes to explain to everyone on the streets or who cares to listen. This paper, argues on the issue of raising people from the dead, whether or not it is a good thing offering perspectives from different affected individuals by the process. Reviving Tithonus comes from a Greek myth whereby the goddess Eos, was in love with the young man Tithonus. Knowing that in due time he would die, they went to the god Zeus and asked that he give him eternal life. However, neither of them thought to ask for eternal youth, nor did the god Zeus suggest it, they seemed to be confused in the world of love and failed to ask the very important questions about life. The life was granted but as time went by, Tithonus aged while Eos remained young. In time, he was so frail he was barely able to do anything (Casarett 35). Eos being embarrassed locked him in a room and left him. Doctors have a primary responsibility to their patients but neither the patients nor the doctors survive on their own. Doctors have hospital rules and professional laws they are bound to, patients have family to be considered in making any decisions concerning treatment. There have been arguments for resuscitation, one of the major ones being the restoration of life back to the individual. A team from Los Angeles, including Kenji Inaba published a report on a research done in the hospital concerning resuscitation. They argued that they were not limited to the procedures that have been performed over time, but they included at the discretion of the operating surgeon, every procedure including injuries to the chest depending on what he deemed fit (Hart 23). They argued that even if they produced a ‘vegetable’ or rather the patient proceeded to brain death, and then they could proceed to organ donation. They gave an example of two patients who underwent the operation and provided ten organs for transplantation when their brains died (Hart 45). This argument for the practice seems like a good one, but considering the situation they provided, while they began to operate the patients, the expectation was not to produce organs for donation even if that may save lives, their responsibility was the lives of the patients so based on that, their operation failed. This factors-in the chances of survival for the patients subjected to the operations. As Casarett puts it, occurrences like that with Michelle are very rare as argued by Hart (46). The hospital also claimed to give the patients a final opportunity to bid their loved ones farewell at the very worst. They did not present a case where one patient lived and without complications. The question would then be asked that since the patients were already dead, why not make good of it and in the process save other lives. This would then call for the consideration of family members who pay a lot of money to support the hospital operations. If the services rendered were free, perhaps then there would be something to consider. But then again, that would assume that they only paid financially which is truly not the case. The emotional roller coaster that they undergo while waiting, praying for their loved one, holding on to the little hope that perhaps, he will make it, is priceless. That notwithstanding, the process robs the patient of a peaceful death, and presents a slow painful death, trying to convince one that that is the preferable option. Not only is the patient and the family affected, the hospital is also affected. The emergency medicine journal presents a case whereby, a patient shows no vital signs for life for ten minutes and the chances of the patient surviving with no blunt trauma are less than 1%. The question here is whether attempts to resuscitate the patient would be futile. To enhance further, the patient is a 25 year old, in good health until then and aggressive efforts to resuscitate were his only chance at survival. No family is available and even if they were, there is no time to inform them and wait for them to make an informed decision. Their argument is that in such a situation, and then it is only logical to continue with the operation and do other considerations later (Anderson 56). They base their argument on the primary responsibility of the doctor being to provide care for the patient and in that way, it becomes valid. However, even with their best intentions, the chances of survival for the patient are still very dim. Not only is that the only opposing argument, but there is also the argument of costs. How much will the hospital pay for the operation? Are the materials necessary all available? Suppose they are, will using them in a situation that they almost know to be pointless demean another patient with higher chances of living quality service? In conclusion, the matter of deciding whether or not to resuscitate is a moral dilemma. It involves many parties and if one is not involved while it was present, there is bound to be crisis. Whereas many arguments for resuscitation revolve around saving life, there are also other factors to put into considerations. From the argument presented though, it is a valid conclusion that in performing the operation with the facts known as they are is playing Zeus. Indeed as the Christians say, health is the Lords’. Works cited Anderson, cliff. "Arguments For And Against Continuing Resuscitation" life-sustaining treatment (2014): Web.3 Mar, 2015. Casarett, David. Adventures in Bringing Back the Recently Dead. 1st ed. USA: Penguin books.(2014), eBook. Hart, Thomas. " Another argument for ED thoracotomy"Resus.me. 2013. Web. 4 Mar, 2015. (resus.me/another-argument-for-ed-thoracotomy/). Read More