Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the ICU: A Dialogue on Core Ethical Issues.
Crit Care Med
; 45(2): 149-155, 2017 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28098622
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Many patients are admitted to the ICU at or near the end of their lives. Consequently, the increasingly common debate regarding physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia holds implications for the practice of critical care medicine. The objective of this article is to explore core ethical issues related to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia from the perspective of healthcare professionals and ethicists on both sides of the debate.SYNTHESIS:
We identified four issues highlighting the key areas of ethical tension central to evaluating physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in medical practice 1) the benefit or harm of death itself, 2) the relationship between physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia and withholding or withdrawing life support, 3) the morality of a physician deliberately causing death, and 4) the management of conscientious objection related to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the critical care setting. We present areas of common ground and important unresolved differences.CONCLUSIONS:
We reached differing positions on the first three core ethical questions and achieved unanimity on how critical care clinicians should manage conscientious objections related to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. The alternative positions presented in this article may serve to promote open and informed dialogue within the critical care community.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Eutanásia
/
Suicídio Assistido
/
Unidades de Terapia Intensiva
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2017
Tipo de documento:
Article