Orthothanasia is a concept introduced to medical ethics quite recently. It refers to abandoning the efforts to sustain life artificially in a terminally ill patient. It consists in withdrawing extraordinary measures and obtaining the patient’s consent to die. The article analyzes not only the arising ethical issues, but also the legal aspects of the problem. It also discusses the possibilities and options offered to patients by health service institutions across the world, as well as the specific problems which patients and their caregivers have to face in Poland.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.