Transcript Euthanasia & Final Exam

Euthanasia
&
The Final Exam
euthanasia (origins)
“good death”
c.1600, from Greek meaning "an easy or happy death,"
from eu- "good" + thanatos "death."
Meaning today:
Also called mercy killing – the act of putting to
death painlessly or allowing to die, as by
withholding extreme medical measures
painless death
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Passive euthanasia
In passive euthanasia death is brought
about by an omission - i.e. by withdrawing or
withholding treatment in order to let the
person die.
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Active euthanasia
In active euthanasia a person directly and
deliberately causes the patient's death.
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Indirect euthanasia
This means providing treatment (usually to reduce pain) that
has the foreseeable side effect of causing the patient to die
sooner. (Brings into play the doctrine of double-effect).
.
The doctrine of double effect
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This doctrine says that if doing something morally good has
a morally bad side-effect it's ethically OK to do it providing
the bad side-effect wasn't intended. This is true even if you
foresaw that the bad effect would probably happen
The principle is used to justify the case where a doctor
gives drugs to a patient to relieve distressing symptoms
even though he knows doing this may shorten the patient's
life This is because the doctor is not aiming directly at
killing the patient - the bad result of the patient's death is a
side-effect of the good result of reducing the patient's pain.
Many doctors use this doctrine to justify the use of high
doses of drugs such as morphine for the purpose of
relieving suffering in terminally-ill patients even though
they know the drugs are likely to cause the patient to die
sooner.
Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Means
Ordinary measures are those that are based on
medication or treatment which is directly
available and can be applied without
incurring severe pain, costs or other
inconveniences, … should give the patient
hope for improvement.
Extraordinary measures are those that are
based on medication or treatment which
cannot be applied without incurring severe
pain, costs or other inconveniences.
persistent vegetative state
a condition in which a medical patient is
completely unresponsive to psychological and
physical stimuli and displays no sign of higher
brain function, being kept alive only by medical
intervention
Assisted suicide occurs when someone
provides an individual with the information,
guidance, and means to take his or her own
life with the intention that these tools and
information will be used for the commission
of suicide.
Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)
occurs when a licensed physician provides the
means for someone to kill himself through the
use of legally prescribed drugs and instructs
the person on how to use them.
What was extraordinary or even impossible in
the past, is now ordinary and possible.
Modern medicine has definitely lengthened life spans. A
century ago, high blood pressure, pneumonia,
appendicitis, and diabetes likely meant death, often
accompanied by excruciating pain. Women had shorter
life expectancies than men since many died in childbirth.
Antibiotics, immunizations, modern surgery and many of
today’s routine therapies or medications were unknown
then ...
Assignment Due May 6:
1. Summarize by bullet point outline or essay ALL
points contained in pages 268 – 272 from Chapter
9 of the text
2. Discuss (1 pg minimum) the Karen Ann Quinlan
case and the “It's Over Debbie” article (pgs 276 –
279)
3. Discuss (1 pg. Minimum) Dr. Kevorkian and the
Assisted-Suicide movement (pgs 285 –293)
Option: Replace one of the above 3 with:
Discuss (1 pg. Minimum) Terri Schiavo: Who
Decides? (pgs. 281 – 284)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=6HLSOB3xHcI
Additional Points for
Final Exam

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The nature of
NDEs
Raymond Moody &
how he came up with
components to NDEs
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4 Phases of NDEs
including examples
from each
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Ineffable
Veridical
Perception
Being of light
(religious?)
Life review –
True Karma but not
judgement
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Key points in obituary
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Open casket – purpose
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Funeral options (wake, cremation, etc.)
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Funeral burial vocab:
Mausoleum
Cortège
Niche
Cremains
Vault
Embalm
Exhumation
Interment
Casket/coffin
Mortuary/morgue
Columbarium
Pall (2 meanings)
Disposition
Pyre
Urn
Material from previous test:
All students get a free question … students who want to
count the test toward the final will get 4 free questions.
6 Warning Signs of Suicide
Children & Death – 3
stages of development
How to help someone with 4 of 5 things to NOT
suicidal thoughts – 5 of 7
equate death to when
talking to children
Kubler-Ross 5 Stages
Children attending
Grollman's Definition of
wakes, funerals; family
Grief
gatherings
Dealing with the dying .. 5
of 8 including bottom line Grief & Grief Work (3
parts)
(same person)
Preparing for Grief (3
points)