Euthanaisa
Euthanasia, the intentional act of causing death, can be considered one of the most prevalent problems when dealing with the ethics of patient treatment. People generally categorize euthanasia as either “active” or “passive.” Active euthanasia is taking the specific steps necessary to cause the patient’s death, and is performed by request of the patient. Passive euthanasia is the hastening of death by withdrawing all means of medical support and allowing the patient’s body to naturally die on its own. Currently, the subject of euthanasia lies in the heart of great controversy for all those involved, including the patient, the patient’s family members, the physician, and other members of the healthcare team. One must take into account the patient’s personal beliefs regarding such a serious matter. The legal ramifications and the patient’s financial situation must also be taken into consideration before making the final choice between life and death. The legal aspects surrounding physician-assisted suicide have been debated in several court cases. In New Jersey 1975, 21-year-old Karen Quinlan was hospitalized for drug overdose. A portion of her brain was dead due to lack of oxygen and as a result, she
Careful considerations for euthanasia’s legality and morality have created varied opinions The issue of assisted suicide continues to be a nation-wide topic for debate. Conflicting rulings on the euthanasia intensifies the controversy. In 1996, Appeals Courts concluded that physicians have a constitutional right to administer drugs to the patient if he or she decides to commit suicide. Then in 1997, the Supreme Court found that there is no constitutional right to die. As a result, the Oregon Death with Dignity Act went into effect in October the same year. The act provides that a doctor may prescribe, but not administer, a lethal dose of medication to a patient who has less than six months to live. In March 1998, Oregon state officials decided to make physician-assisted suicide available to residents who cannot pay for it under Oregon’s Medicaid program. In the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act, federal money is prohibited from being used in financing the procedures involved in physician assisted suicide. In a 1993 Michigan case, 30-year-old construction worker, Thomas Hyde, suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease, a degenerative neurological condition. Hyde’s symptoms included paralysis and difficulty swallowing. It was then that he confided in Dr. Jack Kevorkian about being his severe pain, and he wanted to end his life as quickly as possible. Dr. Kevorkian passively assisted Hyde in committing suicide and was later arrested for violating a Michigan state law. The jury later acquitted Dr. Kevorkian of any wrongdoing based on a loophole in the same law that he was charged of breaking. The law excluded those whose intent to cause death was only to relieve pain. As years passed, Dr. Kevorkian found himself behind bars when his methods changed from being passively-involved in assisting suicide to active participation. He was charged fo
Some topics in this essay:
Hippocratic Oath,
,
Dr Kevorkian,
Restriction Act,
Buddhist Hindu,
Karen Quinlan,
Afterwards Quinlan,
Dignity Act,
Lou Gehrig’s,
Appeals Courts,
assisted suicide,
dr kevorkian,
practice euthanasia,
procedures involved,
reasons euthanasia,
assisting suicide,
patient’s death,
physician-assisted suicide,
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Approximate Word count = 1271
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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