[PF2] Life, Suffering, Death

The duty to avoid causing harm, such as pain, suffering, or death

Nonmaleficence

The duty to act in the patient's best interest, such as preventing harm and helping those in need

Beneficence

The duty to treat people fairly and equally, and to distribute resources fairly

Justice

The right of patients to make informed decisions about their own healthcare

Autonomy

Any system capable of performing functions such as eating, metabolizing, excreting, breathing, moving, growing, reproducing, and responding to external stimuli

Life

A state of a person undergoing a painful or distressing feeling

Suffering

An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage

Pain

The irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory function or the irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem

Death

A disease or condition that cannot be cured and will almost certainly lead to death

Terminal illness

A condition where death is likely to happen when treatments are no longer effective in reversing the condition

Fatal pathology

Prolonging the dying process even when evidence shows nothing can be done

Dysthanasia

The act of inducing an easy death, usually to end suffering where there is no prospect of recovery

Euthanasia

Not prolonging artificially the death process beyond what would be the natural process

Orthothanasia

Interventions/procedures that are meant to prolong or save life

Ordinary means

Interventions/procedures that are experimental and do not offer reasonable hope of benefit

Extraordinary means

Irreversible cessation of respiration and circulation

Heart-Lung Death

Irreversible cessation of the function of the brain including the brain stem

Whole Brain Death

Irreversible cessation of all cognitive functions

Higher-Brain Death

A condition in which a person loses the higher cerebral powers of the brain but still maintains activity in the brain stem

Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)

A condition that cannot be adequately treated and is expected to result in death

End-stage disease

A broader term describing an underlying disease or condition that, if left untreated, will result in death

Fatal pathology

The practice of ending a life of a person either by a lethal injection or suspension of medical treatment

Euthanasia

Commission of an act to render the patient dead through the administration of lethal drugs

Active Euthanasia

Omission of an act to render the patient dead, such as denial of nutrition or oxygen

Passive Euthanasia

Withdrawing or withholding life-support devices when death is impending and alternatives have been exhausted

Orthothanasia

Interventions or procedures that cure an illness or manage a condition according to standard and accepted treatment

Ordinary Means

Interventions or procedures that do not offer reasonable hope of benefit or entail excessive pain, cost, or inconvenience

Extraordinary Means

Principle: If what you do works, continue doing it

Loeb's Law (Principle 1)

Principle: If what you do doesn’t work, stop doing it

Loeb's Law (Principle 2)

Principle: If you do not know what you are doing, don’t do anything at all

Loeb's Law (Principle 3)

The principle that requires healthcare professionals to respect patients' decisions about their healthcare

Autonomy

The principle that requires healthcare professionals to act in the patient's best interest

Beneficence

The principle that requires healthcare professionals to avoid causing harm

Nonmaleficence

The principle that requires healthcare professionals to treat all patients fairly and equally

Justice

The act of prolonging the dying process through technological means without regard to quality of life

Dysthanasia

The legal document that allows individuals to specify their healthcare preferences in case they become unable to make decisions

Advance Directives

The legal document that allows someone to appoint another person to make decisions on their behalf in case of incapacitation

Durable Power of Attorney (DPA)

The order instructing healthcare providers not to perform CPR, LSD, or use an AED

DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)

The ethical principle that states "always do good"

Principle of Beneficence

The ethical principle that states "do no harm"

Principle of Nonmaleficence

A perceived threat to the integirty of the self where there is helpless in the face of threat

Suffering

exhaustion of psychosocial and personal resources for coping

Suffering

Pain is not an option but ___ is

suffering

the concepts of ___ and ___ share negative emotion as a common ground

pain

suffering

an irreversible or incurable isease condition from which death is expected in the foreseeable future

Terminal Illness

Categories for Terminal Illness

Death is imminent

State of acute life threatening crisis

Persistent Vegetative State

refers to any disease that lead to death when allowed to run its course

Fatal Pathology

generally refers to a disease or condition that is incurable and will ulitmately cause death, with a foreseeable limited lifespan

Terminal Illness

Is Dysthanasia, ethical or unethical?

UNETHICAL

Is Active Euthanasia, ethical or unethical?

UNETHICAL

Is Passive Euthanasia, ethical or unethical?

UNETHICAL

Is Orthothanasia, ethical or unethical?

ETHICAL

Who can ask or the removal of Life Sustaining Device?

Attending Physician

Family Member

Who should give consent in removal of Life Sustaining Device?

Patient if competent

Durable Power of Attorney

Closes of Kin of majority age

written for swift and clear decision making of the patient during the time he is still competent and not weak

Living Will and Advanced Directives

Who should remoe the Life Sustaining Device?

Doctors

Respiratory Therapists

The one who connected itE

When medical personnel describe a deadly amount of medication with the intent to help the person commit suicide

Patient Assisted Suicide

the practice, widely carried out and generally judged to be legal, where patients are allowed to die, by withdrawing treatement and/or nourishment. A common practice of this is a patient signing a “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) document

Passive Euthanasia