Talk:Karen Ann Quinlan/Archive 1

Clean up
The book section is incomplete and needs to be edited, also the quality of the article could be greatly improved and perhaps an image could be added if one still exists. I've done minor edits, but don't have the experience or expertise to truly correct the page. -- Tim Thorpe 16:51, 27 October 2006 (UTC)


 * I have a great colour photograph of Karen. I have emailed her mother twice to get permission to use the image, but never got a reply. I don't really want to harass her and email her repeatedly, but it is a really good picture. I will see if it is permissible under fair use. -- FP (talk)(edits) 22:43, 27 October 2006 (UTC)


 * OK, I have added the photograph under the fair use doctrine, and I have cleaned up the books section. -- FP (talk)(edits) 07:29, 28 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Great work, it looks fantastic. Tim Thorpe 20:11, 4 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Thanks Tim :) I have plans to further expand and tidy the article, but it will be a couple of weeks before I can get down to it. Cheers -- FP (talk)(edits) 23:22, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

Girlfriend in a Coma
Is it possible that this incident was inspiration for Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma (novel)? The main character Karen goes into a coma after not eating and taking pills at a party with friends in the mid seventies. I can't find any reference to it on the internet.--Twintone 18:34, 11 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Yes. There are apparently overwhelming parallels between the Karen Ann Quinlan case and Coupland's book. Coupland himself has said, in a 1998 interview, "I just remember in the '70s, every few weeks there would be this one picture of [Quinlan] in all the papers and magazines... it was just this one rhetorical image, and part of me wondered, 'OK, what would it be like to look at the present through that lens?'" -- FirstPrinciples 02:16, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

Karen Ann Quinlin went into a coma from doing qualudes and drinking, I believe this is a very important issue to insert, prescription drug and alcohol dont mix, ever since the sad incident of her going into a coma from this I am scared of doing prescription drugs.167.142.253.107 14:43, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

Relation to Catholic position needs to be revised
The current version does not correctly describe the court's treatment of the Catholic position. It is a bit confusing. Although it cites the Catholic view, this was not the basis of the court's decision. E.g., court said after cited text: "Before turning to the legal and constitutional issues involved, we feel it essential to reiterate that the "Catholic view" of religious neutrality in the circumstances of this case is considered by the Court only in the aspect of its impact upon the conscience, motivation and purpose of the intending guardian, Joseph Quinlan, and not as a precedent in terms of the civil law." Instead, the court found that: "It is the issue of the constitutional right of privacy that has given us most concern, in the exceptional circumstances of this case." p.662 Thus, the basis of the decision (right of privacy) is rather very different than and arguably contrary to the Catholic approach because it could give a person a right to refuse medical treatments that the Church might consider obligatory. Could some editor please revise the article? Thanks. HG | Talk 22:32, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I've done a few steps in this direction (removing dubious paragraph from introduction and stating explicitly the "impact upon the conscience" part). Indeed on my previous reading of the article, I had the impression that US laws varied w.r.t. people's religious affiliations, which seemed utterly odd and you confirmed my qualms. The sections on catholicism need to be further and more deeply edited in this respect as they seem to bear a stray catholic/christian POV. --FvdP (talk) 18:06, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Where's the THIRD significant outcome?
"Quinlan's case continues to raise important questions in moral theology, bioethics, euthanasia, legal guardianship and civil rights; her case has affected the practice of medicine and law around the world. Three significant outcomes of her case were the development of formal ethics committees in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices, and the development of advance health directives." Wait, there aren't three significant outcomes; there are only two. 1, the development; and 2, health directives. Where's 3? Soulrefrain 18:45, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

Get more pictures of her! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.82.19.126 (talk) 15:30, 13 October 2008 (UTC)

Diazepam or Temazepam?
OK, guys! I was taught back in 1976 by reporters like Chuck Scarborough at WNBC TV News that Karen Ann Quinlan became comatose after having gin and taking a 10 milligram tablet of Valium aka Diazepam.

Now someone has changed it from Valium to Temazepam aka Restoril! Why is that unknown IP changing history?

Is someone here attempting to rewrite history? What is the real truth? Why is someone changing the facts?

In Valiums long history, only one death has ever been reported from Valium - and that is Karen Ann Quinlan. All the pharmacists know this.

I suggest that the Temazepam change be challenged and verified and other articles that say she took Restoril, searched for.

Supercool Dude (talk) 12:59, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

Question of Karen's Death
Karen Ann Quinlan collapsed after having Gin and tonics and then taking 10mg of Valium. This caused her to collapse. Injectable Valium has 10% Alcohol in it, so it would be killing many more people. I took Valium and drank heavy in 1977 and am still alive and well. I believe that Karen hit her head when she fell, causing Brain damage and Coma. Autopsy evidence backs this theory. Valium is well known for causing falls and hip fractures, so it makes sense that Karen died from a blunt force trauma like Natasha Richardson.

Supercool Dude (talk) 18:24, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

Dextropropoxyphene
The article mentions she also took dextropropoxyphene, but I find no source for it. Can someone verify it or should it be removed? BrotherSulayman (talk) 19:18, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 20:53, 29 April 2016 (UTC)