Determination of Death: Perspectives from Psychological Assessment

1978 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 851-857
Author(s):  
D. J. Woods ◽  
T. Royder
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Assessment ◽  
False Positive ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Clinical Death ◽  
Determination Of Death ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Assessment Problems ◽  
Combining Information ◽  
Human Death

The judgment that human death has occurred is not easily, reliably, or confidently arrived at in increasing numbers of cases. In this paper difficulties surrounding the definition and determination of death are regarded as assessment problems to which concepts familiar to many psychologists are applicable. These concepts include multiple operational ism, exclusionary screening, false positive and false negative errors, and the idea of a “cutting score” for decisions regarding death. Recommendation is made for the examination of implicit weights used by physicians in combining information from various sources, to arrive at decisions regarding clinical death. Recent technological advances and concomitant social pressures have changed the nature of the assessment of death from a primarily criterion-related to a largely construct-oriented procedure.

scholarly journals Brain Death and the Formation of Moral Conscience

2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-346
Author(s):  
Christopher Ostertag ◽  
Kyle Karches
Keyword(s):  
Brain Death ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Determination Of Death ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Tentative Approval ◽  
Human Death ◽  
Catholic Bishops

In this article, we provide an update to Catholic ethicists and clinicians about the current status of Catholic teaching and practice regarding brain death. We aim to challenge the notion that the question has been definitively settled, despite the widespread application of this concept in medical practice including at Catholic facilities. We first summarize some of the notable arguments for and against brain death in Catholic thought as well as the available magisterial teachings on this topic. Although Catholic bishops, theologians, and ethicists have generally signaled at least tentative approval of the neurological criteria for the determination of death, we contend that no definitive magisterial teaching on brain death currently exists; therefore, Catholics are not currently bound to uphold any position on these criteria. In the second part of the article, we describe how Catholics, particularly Catholic medical practitioners, must presently inform their consciences on this issue while awaiting a more definitive magisterial resolution. Summary: Some prominent Catholic theologians and physicians have argued against the validity of brain death; however, most Catholic ethicists and physicians accept the validity of brain death as true human death. In this paper, we argue that there is no definitive magisterial teaching on brain death, meaning that Catholics are not bound to uphold any position on brain death. Catholics in general, but especially Catholic medical practitioners, should inform their consciences on this intra-Catholic debate on brain death while awaiting more definitive magisterial teaching.

Comparison of an ELISA-based Screening Test with Liquid Chromatography for the Determination of Aflatoxins in Corn

1991 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 827-829
Author(s):  
Rodney W Beaver ◽  
Mary A James ◽  
Tay Y Lin
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Screening Test ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Incorrect Response ◽  
False Positives ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Abstract An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening test (CITE PROBE) was compared to liquid chromatography (LC) for the determination of aflatoxins in naturally contaminated corn samples. The CITE PROBE, with a positive/negative cutoff of 5 ng/g aflatoxin Bi, was correct (based on LC results) on 47 of 51 samples. Two of the Incorrect responses by the CITE PROBE were false positives on samples containing 4.4 ng/g and 4.1 ng/g aflatoxins by LC. Another incorrect response was a false negative on a sample containing 5.5 ng/g aflatoxins by LC. The fourth Incorrect response was a false positive on a sample containing 1.9 ng/g aflatoxins by LC. On the basis of these results, the CITE PROBE was determined to be a reliable screening method for the detection of % 5 ng/g aflatoxins in corn.

scholarly journals Diagnostic Importance of CA-125 in Detection of Recurrence and Progress of the Disease in Stages III and IV of Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma

2008 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srđan Đurđević ◽  
Sanja Stojanović ◽  
Tihomir Vejnović ◽  
Vesna Kopitović ◽  
Marijana Basta-Nikolić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
False Positive ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma ◽  
Ca 125 ◽  
Test Accuracy ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Diagnostic Importance

Diagnostic Importance of CA-125 in Detection of Recurrence and Progress of the Disease in Stages III and IV of Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma In 60 patients operated in stages III and IV of epithelial ovarian carcinoma continuous determination of CA 125 from serum was done during the following 2 years. The main condition for entering the survey were elevated values of CA 125 in serum > 35 U/mL and histologically verified epithelial ovarian carcinoma. The aim of the survey was to perform statistical assessment of serum CA 125 determination in diagnostics of recurrence and progression of the disease in stages III and IV of epithelial ovarian carcinoma, and percentage (%) of false positive and negative results. Determination of CA 125 from serum during 2 postoperative years is a reliable but not completely certain diagnostic parameter in detection of the disease progression in stages III and IV of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (sensitivity 79.3%, specificity 97.1%, positive predictive value 91.2%, negative predictive value 92.4%, test accuracy 92.1%). False positive (0.7%) and false negative results (4.7%) of individual tests were present in 5.4% of all samples.

Critical Evaluation of Impedance Phlebography for the Diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis

1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (02) ◽  
pp. 273-278
Author(s):  
Kenneth K Wu ◽  
John C Hoak ◽  
Robert W Barnes ◽  
Stuart L Frankel
Keyword(s):  
Deep Vein Thrombosis ◽  
False Positive ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Original Method ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
False Negative Results ◽  
Deep Vein ◽  
Positive Results

SummaryIn order to evaluate its daily variability and reliability, impedance phlebography was performed daily or on alternate days on 61 patients with deep vein thrombosis, of whom 47 also had 125I-fibrinogen uptake tests and 22 had radiographic venography. The results showed that impedance phlebography was highly variable and poorly reliable. False positive results were noted in 8 limbs (18%) and false negative results in 3 limbs (7%). Despite its being simple, rapid and noninvasive, its clinical usefulness is doubtful when performed according to the original method.

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