It is often claimed that the intentions of physicians are multiple, ambiguous, and uncertain-at least with respect to end-of-life care. This claim provides support for the conclusion that the principle of double effect is ...

Samuel Golubchuk was unwittingly at the center of a medical controversy with important ethical ramifications. Mr. Golubchuk, an 84-year-old patient whose precise neurological level of function was open to debate, was being ...

The field of neonatology presents a fascinating context in which hugely important decisions have to be made on the basis of physicians' assessments of the long term consequences of various possible choices. In many cases ...

OBJECTIVES: To explore attitudes and reasoning among Swedish physicians and the general public regarding the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment at a competent patient's request. DESIGN: A vignette-based postal ...

INTRODUCTION: In 2007, a national review committee was instituted in The Netherlands to review cases of active ending of life for newborns. It was expected that 15-20 cases would be reported. To date, however, only one ...

Palliative care provides open and honest communication, medically appropriate goal setting, and meticulous attention to symptom assessment and control. The Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a growing ...

BACKGROUND: Intensive care physicians often must rely on substitute decision makers to address all dimensions of the construct of "best interest" for incapable, critically ill patients. This task involves identifying prior ...

Conventional medical ethics and the law draw a bright line distinguishing the permitted practice of withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from the forbidden practice of active euthanasia by means of a lethal injection. ...

In 2002, Belgium saw the enactment of 3 laws concerning euthanasia, palliative care, and patient rights that are likely to affect end-of-life decision making. This report examines trends in the occurrence and decision-making ...

The aim of this study was to develop the concept of the dignified death of children in Brazilian pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). The Hybrid Model for Concept Development was used to develop a conceptual structure ...