Biomaterial Database

[Legal discussion on euthanasia of severely ill patients from the medical viewpoint]. 1993

K Heinrich

Psychiatrische Klinik, Heinrich Heine-Universität Düsseldorf.

Demographic factors lead to rising numbers of old and very old people in our society. In connection with this development the numbers of the seriously ill and handicapped needing comprehensive care are growing. Society is not sufficiently prepared to meet these ethical and economical problems. In this situation consequentialistic utilitarism may contribute to the social acceptance of direct, active euthanasia. Three paradigmatic judicial cases are described. Medical aspects of recent discussions in the field of criminal law are given. The danger of the "bursting of the dam", i.e. the tolerance of killing incurably ill and old patients is stressed. Compassion, self-determination, and economical considerations can not be accepted as reasons for the killing of human beings.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008020	Life Support Care	Care provided patients requiring extraordinary therapeutic measures in order to sustain and prolong life.	Extraordinary Treatment,Prolongation of Life,Care, Life Support,Extraordinary Treatments,Life Prolongation,Treatment, Extraordinary,Treatments, Extraordinary
D008297	Male		Males
D009014	Morals	Standards of conduct that distinguish right from wrong.	Morality
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D005065	Euthanasia	The act or practice of killing or allowing death from natural causes, for reasons of mercy, i.e., in order to release a person from incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death. (from Beauchamp and Walters, Contemporary Issues in Bioethics, 5th ed)	Mercy Killing,Killing, Mercy,Killings, Mercy,Mercy Killings
D005066	Euthanasia, Passive	Failing to prevent death from natural causes, for reasons of mercy by the withdrawal or withholding of life-prolonging treatment.	Allowing to Die,Euthanasia, Negative,Negative Euthanasia,Passive Euthanasia
D005260	Female		Females
D005858	Germany	A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D006708	Homicide	The killing of one person by another.	Murder,Killing,Wrongful Death,Death, Wrongful,Deaths, Wrongful,Homicides,Killings,Murders,Wrongful Deaths
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man