Euthanasia

This area of Wikiversity is for learning, teaching, and research related to euthanasia.

Discussions

NYT Katrina Memorial Medical Center--JohnOrlando 18:30, 4 September 2009 (UTC) As the floodwaters were rising in New Orleans, a doctor and some nurses at a medical center in New Orleans killed 17 patients. Can the AMA justify calling them "heroes" for participating in non-voluntary euthanasia while at the same time condemning voluntary euthanasia? Take a look at the article about the incident in the New York Times.

Washington State Death with Dignity Law Update--JohnOrlando 12:13, 9 September 2009 (UTC) Initiative 1000 went into effect in March, 2009. As of August, 2009, the state reports that 16 people were issued drugs for death who eventually died. One organization said that 5 of those people died of natural causes, meaning that 11 people used the law in six months.

Suicide Death Sean Paz sent me this very interesting article from England about a group of doctors that allowed a woman to die at her request. This in itself is not interesting; it's widely accepted that a competent patient should be allowed to refuse even life-saving medical treatment.

What makes this case interesting is the reason for her death; the woman drank an overdose in order to kill herself, and left a note asking doctors not to save her. This is the first time I know of where an otherwise heathly patient has been allowed to die from suicide.

The question is: Is this situation akin to a DNR order on an elderly patient, which we think is morally permissibe? In other words, is there a morally relevent difference between this case and morally permissibe cases of allowing a patient to die?

See also

• Suicide

External links

• Withholding Treatment Outline Fall 2009
• Withholding Treatment Cases Outline Fall 2009
• Euthanasia Lecture Fall 2009
• Terminal Sedation

Interesting article on the ethics of terminal sedation

• End of Life Comfort

A NYT article on Palliative Care.