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Therapeutic Overzealousness. A Debate on Criteria for Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatment

100%

Machinek M.

The Person and the Challenges. The Journal of Theology, Education, Canon Law and Social Studies Inspired by Pope John Paul II

2015

vol. 5

issue 2

Greater human longevity is one of the biggest achievements of medicine. Timely medical interventions save countless human lives. But some of them, especially those undertaken in the face of imminent death, often generate serious ethical dilemmas. After reaching a certain critical point, the otherwise welcomed and blessed possibilities of prolonging life sometimes degenerate into a painful prolongation of dying. A spontaneous moral intuition, as well as a more balanced, careful ethical reflection – for which human life constitutes the highest value – permits withdrawal of ineffective therapy. But just what are the criteria for making that crucial decision to terminate a medical therapy? How does one define them? The article opens with the overview of terminology applied to medical interventions that fall into the category of inadequate treatment, both from the perspective of medical futility (futile treatment), the standpoint of the physician (overzealous treatment) and the actual suffering of the patient (burdensome treatment). It then examines the criteria for the termination of treatment, among which the prognosis of imminent death and disagreements over the extent of the basic medical care play crucial roles. The final parts of the article focus on some additional, though by no means less important, issues relating to end of life, like the truth at the sickbed, patient’s advance decision concerning the extent of medical interventions he is willing to accept and the physician’s conscience clause.

Ars moriendi – gdy początek oznacza kres

77%

Tokarczyk-Bar U.

Kultura-Społeczeństwo-Edukacja

2016

vol. 9

issue 1

179-198

Both the beginning and the end of human life are connected to many moral dilemmas. The discussion becomes especially emotional when we deal with the situation of parents (or sometimes just a mother) who decide about their baby’s life in its prenatal phase of development. The in vitro procedure itself still gives rise to a number of doubts in some circles. Especially the multiple embryo transfer exposes the mother to a potential stress of deciding about the further course of pregnancy. To be more precise: some patients are persuaded into selective abortion. Polish law allows abortion in three cases. Still, the act of 1997 does not seem to be precise enough. On the one hand there is a threat of it being abused, on the other – there are difficulties when it comes to it being executed. Due to the medical advancement issues that were obvious twenty years ago need to be newly evaluated (e.g. the age of an infant capable of surviving outside the mother’s womb is gradually decreasing). It also seems that it is necessary to look upon terms such as abortion, termination, lethal defects, overzealous therapy, abandoning overzealous therapy, euthanasia (active, passive), euthanasia attitude, hospice care attitude, chronic condition, terminal phase, terminal state, palliative care. It becomes crucial especially now when Poland is faced with projects of opposing legal acts: those delegalizing abortion completely and those allowing for complete freedom of it. Therefore, a sound bioethical discussion is in order, such that will allow for the optimal standpoint. At the same time it would be beneficial to concentrate on thanalogy education because, as distant and unrealistic those ultimate matter may seem now, they concern every human being.

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1 Kultura-Społeczeństwo-Edukacja

1 The Person and the Challenges. The Journal of Theology, Education, Canon Law and Social Studies Inspired by Pope John Paul II

1 2016

1 2015

1 Machinek M.

1 Tokarczyk-Bar U.

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Therapeutic Overzealousness. A Debate on Criteria for Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatment

Ars moriendi – gdy początek oznacza kres