Letters: Jahi McMath and medical futility

Re “Girl’s ventilator court order extended,” Dec. 31

The concept of medical futility can simply be stated in regard to an essential fact of human life: At some time in every life, disability or death will exceed our medical powers.

Regardless of extensive medical efforts, mortality is a reality for each human, and medical futility is the belief that mortality is imminent. Even in the presence of life-sustaining technologies, the decision sometimes has to be made that “enough is enough.”

Though medical futility can be discussed utilizing a range of different terms and theories, this is the fundamental perspective that has to be utilized when considering the overall issue.

Richard Boudreau, MD

Marina del Rey

The writer, also an attorney, is a member of the faculty at Loyola Marymount University’s Bioethics Institute.

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