Abstract
Question: Every human being is mortal; the question is, however, what is the most appropriate way to die? Discussion: There is no one answer to this question. This dilemma is not primarily a medical or scientific dilemma, but rather a social, ethical, religious, legal and cultural dilemma. Hence, caring for the dying patient by families and health professionals is a challenging task. This dilemma should be resolved by experts in the fields of ethics, religion and law. Conclusion: In general, a "good death" is how an autonomous person wishes it to be, within the limits of societal norms and values. In all circumstances there is a moral-religious duty to provide palliative care to the dying (actually to every) patient in order to alleviate pain and suffering.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 658-660 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Notfall und Rettungsmedizin |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Autonomy
- Ethics
- Quality of life
- Slippery slope argument
- Terminal care