End stage condition: an irreversible condition that is caused by injury, disease, or illness resulting in progressively severe and permanent deterioration where treatment of the condition based on medical probability would be ineffective.

Life-prolonging procedure: any medical procedure or treatment, including feeding by vein or stomach tube, that extends a person’s life by supporting, restoring or replacing a spontaneous vital function such as breathing. Some life-prolonging
procedures may include: antibiotics, flu shots, hip replacement surgery, pneumonia treatment, insulin, blood pressure or blood thinning medications, oxygen, transfusions, etc.

Persistent vegetative state: a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is no voluntary action or intelligent behavior and an inability to communicate or interact purposely with the environment.

Resuscitation: is the attempt to make the heart beat and the lungs breathe again after they have stopped. This is done with CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), electric shock to the chest, repeated chest compressions, placement of a breathing
tube down the throat and into the lungs and use of a breathing machine (ventilator).  It also can include Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) medications such as Epinephrine. These drugs artificially maintain heart beat and blood pressure.

Terminal condition: a condition caused by injury, disease, or illness from which there is no reasonable medical probability of recovery and which, without treatment, can be expected to cause death.