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http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/03/25/schiavo.doctors.ap/index.htmlDoctors debate Schiavo's condition
Friday, March 25, 2005 Posted: 7:58 AM EST (1258 GMT)
(AP) -- An affidavit filed this week that questions whether Terri Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state is not the first time that diagnosis has been challenged in court. But the last time doctors fought it out in front of a judge, the diagnosis was upheld.
The issue arose again this week when a neurologist, Dr. William Cheshire of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, said in a court document that he believed it's more likely that Schiavo is in a "minimally conscious state."
In a persistent vegetative state, a person is awake but not aware of himself or his environment, and making only reflex movements. In a minimally conscious state, a person's behavior shows inconsistent but reproducible signs of consciousness. For example, a patient can occasionally follow simple commands -- scratch his nose if it itches -- or try to use an object such as a comb correctly.
The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville said in a statement that Cheshire, at the request of the state of Florida, observed Schiavo at her bedside and reviewed her medical history but did not conduct an extensive examination of her.