Jahi McMath Died and What Followed Has Been Tragic

This afternoon the latest chapter in the demise and subsequent saga of 13-year-old Jahi McMath has been started when a judge granted an extension of life support through Jan. 7. Since her surgery and subsequent cardiac arrest on Dec. 9, this case has become the topic of conversation throughout the nation. The unusual situation has attracted the commentary of medical providers, lawyers, ethicists, public relations agents, and religious figures. It has sparked an intense, emotional debate across water coolers and dining room tables. It deserves our considerate reflection for what it can teach us about medical science, the end of life, and the responsibility of physicians. There is a paucity of known facts in this situation. The family and their lawyer have released few specific details. Oakland Children's Hospital, bound by the privacy restrictions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), has offered even less. Jahi underwent three surgical procedures for the treatment of her sleep apnea. This included a tonsillectomy, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), and removal of nasal turbinates. Though initially described as a "routine tonsillectomy," this degree of surgery in children is not routine. It is extensive. When performed on a child, the risk is high. Bleeding and death can occur, as it did in her situation. In recovery from surgery, about 30 minutes after its conclusion, it seems that she began to bleed profusely before she went into cardiac arrest...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news