Pregnant Georgia woman declared dead, kept in ICU over family's objection

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SPEAKER 1

Welcome, folks. Hello. I want to talk this morning about this case that is happening in Georgia. A 30-year-old mom and nurse named Miss Smith. Unfortunately, presented to the hospital more than one time, actually, trying to get treatment for a really severe headache. And unfortunately, based on the information we have now, she was

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turned away, she did not receive the care that she should have received. And unfortunately, on February 19th, was declared dead by neurologic criteria. For folks who aren't familiar with brain death, the concept of brain death, it is a concept that was developed in the late 1960s and early 70s and really led

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to the consensus of something called the Universal Declaration of Death Act. which means that there's basically two ways that you can declare someone dead. One of which is, pardon me, irreversible cessation of circulation, so if your heart stops. And the other way is if your brain has died. So if there's not blood flow getting to the brain,

Pregnant Georgia woman declared dead, kept in ICU over family's objection

Misogyny know a no bounds in the anti-patient autonomy movement

Alyssa Burgart, MD, MA

May 17, 2025

Transcript

Adriana Smith was a Black woman, mother, and nurse in Georgia before she died after suffering a severe headache at 9 weeks pregnant.

On February 19, Ms. Smith was declared dead by neurological criteria.

Due to Georgia’s barbaric anti-abortion/fetal life laws, the hospital claims they cannot withdraw the ventilator and other treatments that do not benefit Ms. Smith directly.

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Adriana Smith, a thirty-year-old woman, was declared brain dead in February. She had been suffering from intense headaches and went to Atlanta’s Northside Hospital, where she was sent home with medication. The next morning, she was gasping for air: her boyfriend called 911. But it was too late: Emory University hospital found blood clots in her brain. It was impossible to save her…

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Papers I Mentioned

Sperling D. Should a Patient Who Is Pregnant and Brain Dead Receive Life Support, Despite Objection From Her Appointed Surrogate? AMA J Ethics. 2020 Dec 1;22(12):E1004-1009. doi: 10.1001/amajethics.2020.1004. PMID: 33419499.

Dodaro MG, Seidenari A, Marino IR, Berghella V, Bellussi F. Brain death in pregnancy: a systematic review focusing on perinatal outcomes. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021 May;224(5):445-469. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.01.033. Epub 2021 Feb 16. PMID: 33600780.