Raj Kumar Mani

SC followed Delhi HC in denying right to die to a patient who’s been in a vegetative state for more than a decade. Medical ethics, our Constitution, international norms support this right The aging parents of a patient who has been in a vegetative state for more than a decade have been knocking at courts’ doors. But first the Delhi high court and now the Supreme Court have crushed their hope of passive euthanasia for their child.

An obese woman aged 70 years with a history of chronic persistent asthma and diabetes mellitus presented with acute exacerbation and respiratory failure. A chest X-ray and CT scan revealed patchy infiltrates on the right lung along with right hilar and upper lobe masses suggestive of malignancy (figure 1). Bronchoscopy was performed 7?days later after control of her symptoms with nebulised bronchodilators, intravenous corticosteroids and non-invasive ventilatory support.

A 65?year-old man with diabetes presented with a brief febrile illness, extreme debility and respiratory distress. X-ray chest showed a right lower lobe consolidation. A clinical diagnosis of severe community-acquired pneumonia was made for which he required antibiotics, non-invasive ventilatory support and admission to intensive care for a week. Nasopharyngeal swab was positive for influenza A by real-time PCR.