Via
Atrios, a
story about a man in a persistent vegetative state whose family has finally found an institution that will keep him on a feeding tube and respirator.
...the case was particularly hard on staff because there was no possibility Nikolouzos would ever improve, even with around-the-clock care. Nikolouzos' serious complications include constant infections and ulcers that penetrate all the way to bone, and muscle atrophy that has left him rigidly curled up in a fetal position. Pate said it is hard to believe that hospital hygiene efforts necessary to prevent infection don't physically hurt the patient.
"He's unaware of his surroundings, he can't eat, he can't speak, he can't move any of his extremities," Pate said. "I can't imagine anybody in his condition wanting extraordinary means of life support to be kept alive."
Here's something just for fun:
The study shows that the rate of such decisions varies widely among states. The main contributing factor is the state's policy towards DNR orders. The more DNR orders, the easier they are to come by, etc., the fewer grotesqueries you are going to find.
UPDATE To be clear, the chart shows the rate at which persons with severe cognitive impairment have orders to forego feeding tubes. A state like California has a relatively high rate of these orders in place, compared with a state like Kansas.