Home 
Contact 
Profile 
Videos 
Background material by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. for Year 1 Semester 1 Biomed PPSD session on 21st September 2008
Mr Deng did not follow the dietary advice he was given and within 1 month became severely ill. He was unconscious by the time he was taken to hospital. Initial examination in the emergency room showed the following:
Patient Value | Normal | |
Glasgow coma scale | 13 | 3-15 |
Hemoglobin | 140 | 130-180 g/L |
Bilirubin μmol/Liter | 25 | 2-17 |
Alkaline phosphatase U/LITER | 150 | 40-125 |
Albumin g/L | 30 | 36-47 |
BP | 80/50 | 120/80 |
Q1. What conclusion can you make from the results above?
The attending physician decided to institute life support measures. New investigations were made the next day and showed the following. The electro-encephalogram (EEC) tracing was flat indicating low/no brain activity. Clinical tests showed a still functioning brain stem. The patient was in kidney failure and artificial dialysis was started. Serum tests showed a failing liver.
Q2. What is your conclusion about the status of the patient at this stage: alive or dead?
The 3 specialist physicians who work in the ICU held a conference that afternoon and reached a unanimous decision that the chances of recovery from coma and living a normal life were almost nil. They discussed the matter with members of the family who insisted that they wanted Mr Deng kept alive at all costs. The ICU nurse later informed the physicians that she had overheard discussions among family members to the effect that declaration of Mr Deng’s death cause panic and loss of share value of Mr Deng’s 2 publicly listed companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. They wanted to sell family shares before the public found out that Mr Deng was dying.
Q3. What is your view about further continuation of life support measures?