ETHICAL DECISIONS IN

PROLONGING LIFE

What is Death?Death is defined as the cessation

of all vital functions of the body including the heartbeat, brain activity (including the brain stem), and breathing.

Source:

Fallon, L. Fleming. "Death." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 1108-1111. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.

Two Different Views about Death

Ultimate Failure a natural process in life leading one to

the fullness of eternal life

For those who believe that death is a natural process in life leading one to the fullness of eternal life Every proper and reasonable effort will be

made to preserve life

Roman Catholic tradition insists that all persons have a serious responsibility to take ordinary means to preserve their lives and health but those extraordinary measures are not morally required.

Some Terms

Ordinary means - those which do not place excessive physical, mental, financial or spiritual burdens on the patient or on his or her family; health care profession equates ordinary means with standard treatment

Extraordinary means – those which cause serious burden; health care profession equates extraordinary means with experimental treatment

Contemporary moralists have suggested the use of beneficial vs. non-beneficial. Does the benefit to the patient justify the burden? Two extreme approaches to be avoided: 1) automatically doing everything medical science can do at any cost, and 2) judging that individual’s life is no longer “worth living” and abandoning the person or directly ending his or her life

Theologians concluded that only ordinary means could be obligatory while extraordinary means endanger the moral life of the patient and of others

• 3 Factors that may render treatment to preserve life extraordinary and non-obligatory:

o difficulty of availability o excessive burden o insufficient expectation of health or

sound life

Question of Resuscitation Resuscitation – refers to the procedure taken

to rescue a person from the brink of death by restoring heartbeat and breathing

Situations when it should not be administered (according to Catholic Healthcare Identity):when it cannot be done in 3-5 minutesirreversible terminal illness when death is imminent

and the patient is beyond any hopeful prognosiswhen the patient, while still competent, definitely

decided against it (DNR order – Do Not Resuscitate Order)

Advanced Directives Refers to legal response to end-of-life decisions Fist “living will” legislation was passed in CA in

1977 and spread to other states Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 –

encourage people to make out advanced directives to make out advance directives, which take two forms – living wills and durable power of attorney for health care

Although it is ethically permissible to sign these documents, they do not solve all problems