Legal Definitions - life-sustaining procedures

Life-sustaining procedures are medical interventions designed to maintain a person's vital bodily functions and prolong their life when they are facing a severe illness or injury that cannot be cured. These procedures do not reverse the underlying medical condition but rather support the body to continue functioning.

Here are some examples:

• Artificial Nutrition and Hydration (ANH) via a feeding tube: If a person suffers a severe stroke or has an advanced neurological disease that prevents them from swallowing safely, a feeding tube might be inserted directly into their stomach or small intestine. This procedure delivers essential nutrients and fluids, thereby sustaining their life. However, it does not heal the brain damage from the stroke or cure the underlying neurological disease that impairs their ability to eat independently.

• Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD): For individuals with severe heart conditions that put them at risk for sudden cardiac arrest due to life-threatening irregular heart rhythms, an ICD can be surgically implanted. This device continuously monitors heart activity and delivers an electrical shock to restore a normal rhythm if a dangerous arrhythmia occurs. While the ICD effectively prevents sudden death and prolongs life, it does not repair the damaged heart muscle or cure the underlying heart disease that causes the arrhythmias.

• Regular Blood Transfusions for Chronic Bone Marrow Failure: In cases where a person's bone marrow is severely damaged (e.g., due to aplastic anemia or certain cancers) and cannot produce enough healthy blood cells, periodic blood transfusions become necessary. These transfusions provide the vital red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets needed for oxygen transport, immunity, and clotting, thus sustaining the person's life. However, this procedure does not cure the bone marrow's inability to function properly on its own.