Missouri Department of Health, 1 the Court's decision in the case was one of its most
important decisions of theyear in terms ofpublic impact. More than 80% of deaths in …

T he stage is set for a dramatic national resolution of the Cruzan family's tragic dilemma. The
numerous amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court urging reversal of the decision of …

Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health: To Page 1 Cruzan v. Director, Missouri
Department of Health: To Die or Not to Die: That is the Question-But Who Decides? Table of …

On January 11, 1983, an automobile accident in Jasper County, Missouri, rendered Nancy
Beth Cruzan incompetent. Deprived of oxygen for twelve to fourteen minutes, Ms. Cruzan …

Cruzan v Director ofMissouri Department ofPublic Health, the American Medical Association
has filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to recognize such a right …

KIE: The parents of Nancy Cruzan, a Missouri woman in a persistent vegetative state,
petitioned to be allowed to order the termination of her artificially administered hydration and …

Medical practitioners often feel obligated to use all available procedures to sustain patients'
lives. A review of case law indicates, however, that practitioners who abate treatment that is …

The national discussion concerning decision making for incompetent patients began with
the 1976 case of Karen Ann Quinlan. Because she had been left in a persistent vegetative …

Gastrostomy feeding of Nancy Cruzan does notharm her. A permanently vegetative patient
does not have interests that can be harmed. Even critics of the decision agree that she does …

In 1990, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the Cruzan case, the first
“right-to-die case” to reach that court. Prior to the Court's decision, there was widespread …