that is likely or even certain to hasten a patient's death?
2007-03-15 17:06:01 · 3 answers · asked by ? 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
People who are against these types of treatment have professions far away from the medical field, and don't see the needless suffering that people go through every day.
This is one of those "grey" areas in ethics...there are no easy answers with this one. In my opinion, if the patient is on their way out of this world, I see no problem in maintaining a high level of comfort care...even if it results in shortening the life by a few weeks or days. What kind of life is pain, hallucinations, extreme nausea/diarrhea, bedfastness, contractures, inability to eat and drink etc. I'm not saying this because these kinds of patients are a burden, I'm just saying that is what I would want for myself or a loved one...and I really don't think it is a "sin" to pursue that route. But, of course, you must follow the laws of where you are living, and you can not intentionally hasten someone's death without having lots of legal trouble.
2007-03-15 17:17:40 · answer #1 · answered by ♥austingirl♥ 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I live in the State of Oregon. We have the Death with Dignity Act. If we are talking about community standards as the ethical metric I'd have to say yes. That being said, prostitution would be a community norm in some places in Nevada.
Tough call. Just because you can doesn't always mean you should.
2007-03-16 00:11:28 · answer #2 · answered by Goofy Foot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are courting a prison sentence if you do this. I do not care what fancy term this now has been re-named, it is still euthanasia. I had a prominent doctor to ask me to perform this dirty little deed on his mother who was terminally ill, and no one but me would have gotten the blame if an autopsy had been performed.
2007-03-16 00:11:10 · answer #3 · answered by Sparkles 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋