Vital Organs / Unconscious State
After studying the course materials located on Module 4: Lecture Materials & Resources page, answer the following:
1. Name some very important organs that are not vital organs.
2. List the functional description of all the normal vital organs, including today’s exceptions.
3. Is it possible to live without a vital organ? Why? Example?
4. Distinction between assisting or substituting vital organs. Bioethical analysis.
5. Do the following practices assist or substitute the vital organ? Why?
o Dialysis
o Respirator
o Ventilator
o Tracheotomy
o CPR
6. Read and summarize ERD PART FIVE Introduction.
7. Unconscious state: Definition.
8. Clinical definitions of different states of unconsciousness: Compare and contrast
9. Benefit vs Burden: bioethical analysis.
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Some very important organs that are not vital organs include the spleen, the appendix, and the tonsils. These organs are not essential for survival, but they do play important roles in the body’s immune system and digestive system.
The normal vital organs are the heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, liver, and digestive system. These organs are essential for survival, and without them, a person will die. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, people with kidney failure can survive with dialysis, and people with liver failure can survive with a liver transplant.
It is possible to live without a vital organ, but only with the help of medical technology. For example, people with heart failure can survive with a pacemaker or an artificial heart, and people with lung failure can survive with a ventilator.
There is a distinction between assisting and substituting vital organs. Assisting a vital organ means providing support so that the organ can continue to function on its own. For example, a pacemaker assists the heart by providing electrical impulses that keep the heart beating. Substituting a vital organ means replacing the organ with a machine or another organ. For example, a kidney transplant is a type of organ substitution.
The following practices assist or substitute the vital organ:
Dialysis assists the kidneys by removing waste products from the blood.
A respirator substitutes for the lungs by providing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide.
A ventilator is a type of respirator that is used to mechanically ventilate the lungs.
A tracheotomy is a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the throat so that a person can breathe through a tube.
CPR is a life-saving procedure that is used to keep a person’s heart and lungs working until they can be resuscitated.
ERD PART FIVE Introduction discusses the ethical issues surrounding the use of medical technology to assist or substitute vital organs. Some of the ethical issues discussed include the right to life, the right to die, and the allocation of scarce resources.
An unconscious state is a state in which a person is not aware of their surroundings or themselves. They may be unresponsive to stimuli, and they may not be able to breathe or maintain their own body temperature.
The clinical definitions of different states of unconsciousness include:
Coma: A state of deep unconsciousness from which a person cannot be awakened.
Stupor: A state of reduced consciousness in which a person is slow to respond to stimuli.
Delirium: A state of confusion and agitation that is often caused by a medical condition.
Locked-in syndrome: A condition in which a person is conscious but unable to move or communicate.
The benefit-versus-burden analysis is a bioethical framework that is used to weigh the benefits and burdens of medical treatment. The benefits of treatment include the potential to improve a person’s quality of life or prolong their life. The burdens of treatment include the risks of side effects, the cost of treatment, and the impact on a person’s lifestyle.
