Euthanasia - Yes or no?

[TTSD]

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Do you support Euthanasia?

I don't mean in the cases of someone who's just fed up with living. I'm talking about those cases where a person has a prognosis of perhaps days at best, and their life is wracked by excruitiating pain and loss of dignity. And they're constantly begging you to help them die.

Do you give them the drugs to slip quietly into the night?

While I guess the immediate answer would be NO, I think it's a lot more complex and humane than that. It's probably akin to a wounded soldier asking to be shot rather than be left on the field to an agonizing slow death with no hope for rescue.

How important is a person's dignity, humanity, and choice worth over the remainder of their life?

I understand 'do no harm.' But in such extreme cases, are you doing harm in the typical sense or doign the lesser of harms? And in such cases, is it any different than pulling the plug on a patient with no meaningful chances of recovery with family consent?

 

[beastmaster]

I would, if allowed. But have to follow the law regardless. Law trumps personal opinion.

 

[dankev]

I support it and applaud those states who have voted to allow it.

On a related note, I also support abortion. Unlike most though, I support it through the 50th trimester. Seriously, teenagers can be a pain in the *ss.

 

[greenwave34]

It makes sense to want to argue for "dignified death," but, as a physician, I've heard that it's very difficult to cross the line into helping patients die. In Oregon, which is the only state where PAS (physic. assisted suicide) is legal, many physicians can not bring themselves to "do it" because they feel that it goes against their duties to medicine. Even in cases where family doctors have developed long-term relationships with patients, PAS is not as easy as "helping" a patient. In all other states, practitioners are prohibited from taking part in PAS.
There are many circumstancial, societal, legal, social, and personal issues that come into play with each patients case.
A thoughtful answer to the question: Euthanasia or not? can simply be: it depends...

Moreso than reasoning with the "slipery slope" argument, it is important to define the "purpose of medicine" in your own terms and read about physicians' accounts of helping their patients die (chech out some of Oregon's websites). Is it appropriate for doctors to do PAS? How does PAS affect societal views on the practice of medicine? What about hospice? Passive euthanasia (the use of morphine/palliative drugs that hasten, but do not cause death)?

Just thoughts....

 

[Amit1]

Anyone who has seen some of the old gomers in a bad nursing home would have the heart and mind to say yes.

 

[zero counter]

I understand the aspects of relieving them of their problems, it is very hard. Even with a DNR, some may still wallow among the thin line of death and life but with anguish. The ask for you to help them or their family members ask of you to help that person. I could not find myself to do it. Being that as a physician, you are obligated to save lives and follow the law, doing the opposite is immoral and unlawful (in some states).

I would make their last days as comfortable as possible if it is within my power to do so. When I say that, I mean administering pain meds.

For some reason, I see patient care synonymous with caring for family members in that I would treat them equally. So no, I would not assist in insuring the inevitable by speeding the process up with "mine own hands"..