... which goes a long way toward explaining why we, as a society, can't actually have a realistic conversation about issues of medically futile treatments for terminally ill patients. Thaddeus Pope of Medical Futility explains--be sure to savor the segment in bold: Yesterday, I wrote here about a West Virginia court that ordered a hospital to continue treating a brain dead patient. For context, it is worth mentioning that such orders are regularly obtained by family members from courts across the United States. One of the more visible, recent cases was that of Motl Brody at DC Childrens. Granted, usually (though not always) the courts grant only temporary (stop-gap) relief, giving everybody a chance to catch their breath and explore options. Rarely does the court issue a permanent injunction. On the other hand, the physiological nature of these cases typically means that there is no need for families to ask for permanent injunctive relief. The patient will, within the TRO o tempor...