Question 1

A ___________ permits one individual, known as the "principal," to give to another person, called the "attorney-in-fact," the authority to act on his or her behalf.

Accepted Answer

A)   durable power of attorney
B)   consent form
C)   living will
D)   contract duces tecum A

Question 2

___________ is the legal mechanism by which a court declares a person incompetent and appoints a person to act in his/her best interests

Accepted Answer

A)   In loco parentis
B)   Power of attorney
C)   Guardianship
D)   Agency C

Question 3

Federal regulations require hospital-based researchers to obtain the approval of a(n) ___________ prior to conducting clinical trials.

Accepted Answer

A)   ethics committee
B)   medical board
C)   governing body
D)   Institutional Review Board D

Question 4

The act or practice of painlessly putting to death a person suffering from an incurable condition is ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   murder
B)   informed consent
C)   misdemeanor
D)   euthanasia

Question 5

In order for courts to determine that an incompetent person desired to decline extraordinary medical care, that desire would be best served if the patient ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   failed to appoint a surrogate decision-maker
B)   executed a living will
C)   signed a do not resuscitate order while unconscious
D)   allowed the physician to make the decision

Question 6

Withdrawal of treatment should be considered ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   if restoration of cardiac function will last for a brief time
B)   when balancing the interests of various family members
C)   based on age
D)   based on individual physician preferences

Question 7

In a case where a new drug of unknown effectiveness was administered to a patient at a navy medical center despite other known and effective drugs being available and injury resulted, the navy was held liable because ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)   of the hospital's importance in the care of military patients
B)   it failed to warn the patient of the risks involved in administration of the drug
C)   it should have used the known, less risky drug
D)   it was reasonably foreseeable that injury could occur

Question 8

Dr. ___________ claims to have assisted in the suicides of 130 patients who had suffered tormenting pain for years.

Accepted Answer

A)   Derek Humphrey
B)   Timothy Quill
C)   John Grossman
D)   Jack Kevorkian

Question 9

The ___________ held in June 1990 that the U.S. Constitution does not forbid Missouri from requiring that there be clear and convincing evidence of an incompetent's wishes as to the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment before removing such treatment.

Accepted Answer

A)   U.S. District Court
B)   U.S. Supreme Court
C)   Missouri Supreme Court
D)   U.S. Court of Appeals

Question 10

___________ are instructions given by individuals specifying what actions they want taken for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make healthcare decisions as a result of illness or incapacity.

Accepted Answer

A)   Do Not Resuscitate orders
B)   Euthanasia agreements
C)   Advance directives for health care
D)   Health Care Proxies

Question 11

The cases dealing with euthanasia lead to the public, courts, and religious groups wanting to know the legal definition of death. In 1974, the AMA accepted death as ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   the cessation of all heart function
B)   when a person is in a persistent vegetative state
C)   the cessation of all brain function including the brain stem
D)   when a person has a terminal illness with no chance of survival and certain death is imminent

Question 12

In the Florida Terry Schiavo case, where the patient had no "living will" and was in a persistent vegetative state, her spouse/guardian had her feeding tubes removed against her parents' wishes and the state took their side. The final outcome of the case emphasizes ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   courts exist to preserve the rights of individuals even if contrary to popular will
B)   the legislative branch can supersede the judicial necessary to protect an individual
C)   a guardian's decision can be overruled if it's determined not to be what the patient would have wanted
D)   the governor has a right to step in and enact an emergency law to protect life

Question 13

Once a ___________ is executed by a competent patient and filed with the hospital, it will allow the hospital to withdraw life support from a patient who falls into an irreversible coma.

Accepted Answer

A)   durable power of attorney
B)   healthcare proxy
C)   living will
D)   last will and testament

Question 14

_____________ are genes or DNA sequences with a known location on a chromosome that can be used to identify specific cells and diseases, as well as individuals and species.

Accepted Answer

A)   genetics
B)   stem cells
C)   genetic markers
D)   gene map

Question 15

The ___________ of 1990 provides that patients have a right to formulate advance directives and to make decisions regarding their health care.

Accepted Answer

A)   Patient Self-Determination Act
B)   Right to Die Act
C)   Euthanasia Act
D)   Substituted Judgment Act

Question 16

Physician assisted death is an example of ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   active euthanasia
B)   passive euthanasia
C)   suicide
D)   patricide

Question 17

The In re Quinlan case was so significant because

Accepted Answer

A)   Karen Ann Quinlan was in a coma and could not make her own decisions
B)   the court determined that every adult of sound mind has a right to determine what should be done to his or her body
C)   the case was the first to seriously address the issues of whether euthanasia should be permitted when a patient is terminally ill
D)   the patient can be operated on without giving informed consent, even if in a coma

Question 18

The number of people who will die this year due to lack of organ donations is estimated to be ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   approximately 570 people
B)   150 people
C)   thousands of people
D)   less than 1,000

Question 19

Euthanasia originated from the Greek word euthanatos, meaning ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   good death
B)   suicide
C)   happy life
D)   manslaughter

Question 20

The ___________ strives to provide viable alternatives that will lead to the optimal resolution of many difficult dilemmas facing patients, including end-of-life issues.

Accepted Answer

A)   medical board
B)   ethics committee
C)   conflict resolution committee
D)   community outreach committee

Exam 16: End of Life Issues