Do you think that it is ethical to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment?

Question

Do you think that it is ethical to either withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment (life support)?

Why or why not?

Answer 1

yes it's ethical. medicine is not the science of prolonging life, that's gods business. medicine is the art of improving the quality of life.

Answer 2

I do it all the time.

Think about it this way: When was the last time you donated blood?

Each donation might conceivably save four or more lives, and even more if you start compounding interest based on how many people are helped by the initial recipients. Is a person who whitholds this life-saving substance necessarily a horrible monster?

The answer is no.

Any effort to save or even sustain life is exactly that: an effort. It is an expendature of resources... resources that might be better spent in other ways.

The investment of resources to perform a single heart transplant only buys the recipient a decade of life, if they're lucky. But in some places in the world, that amount of money could feed a whole hungry village for the same amount of time. Is one life better than dozens?

There is no pat answer. It all depends on circumstances.

Answer 3

Yes, if the patient has asked before hand (in a living will or something) that no measures be taken to extend his life. Also, if someone is only alive because of the machines that are breathing for them, and they cannot move or speak or are brain dead, it's totally ethical to remove them from the support. Forcing someone to live by artificial means would be much more unethical.

Answer 4

There is a fine line in your question and you will never cross that fine line until you are personally involved.

I presume that since you asked it, you have never been placed in that life and death decision. You are very lucky.

Just remember that in case it ever comes to pass that you have to make such a decision, there will be people who will support you which ever way you will go.