An 80 -year-old man is admitted to the hospital with a massive intracranial bleed. He has been placed on a ventilator because of the respiratory failure associated with intracranial herniation. When you try to remove the ventilator, there are no respirations. The patient makes no purposeful movements. There is no pupilary reaction when you shine a light in his eyes. There is no nystagmus on cold caloric testing. Oculocephalic and comeal reflexes are absent. He left no specific wishes for his care.
Which of the following is the most appropriate action regarding this patent?
a. Remove the ventilator.
b. Make the patient DNR.
c. Place a nasogastric tube to prevent aspiration.
d. Get a court order authorizing you to remove the ventilator.
e. Do an EEG (electroencephalogram) three times separated by six hours each time.