What Does Euthanasia Mean Essay Research Paper

What Does Euthanasia Mean Essay, Research Paper

WHAT DOES EUTHANASIA MEAN?

Isis Kearney

ENG 121-019

September 22, 2000

WHAT DOES EUTHANASIA MEAN?

At some point in our lives we will all depart this fine world, but do we have to suffer until that day comes? Unfortunately a vast majority of our society believes it?s wrong to consider euthanasia an option. Throughout history we have fought for the freedom of choice, like abortion, the right for woman to vote, and the right for gays and lesbians to marry, just to name a few examples. Euthanasia should be considered a pro-choice decision, as long as physicians have guidelines that they must follow. Euthanasia may not be right for everyone, based on their religious beliefs, cultural background, or their upbringing. That does not necessarily mean that euthanasia is wrong for everyone.

The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: Eu means “good” and Thanatos means “death”. The definition that the Netherlands State Commission uses is “the intentional termination of life by another, at the explicit request of the person who seeks death as a last resort”(NSC). That is, the term euthanasia usually implies, nevertheless the person who wishes to end their lives due to great agony must initiate the act. However, many people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life. Like so many other terms in our language euthanasia has many meanings. The result is mass confusion among our society.

Presently there are four complicated categories that represent euthanasia. The first, is voluntary euthanasia-in, which a patient voluntarily brings about his or her own death with the assistances of a person-, typically a physician (Encarta). In this incident, the act is considered suicide (intentional self-inflicted death). The patient actually consents to his or her own death either verbally or through a living will. In the case of Don “Dax” Cowart, he verbally consented to his own death, but the physicians and his family denied him the “right to die”. It was considered ethically wrong in their eyes. In their opinion they saw it as they could save young man?s life. They saved his life, but his quality of life will never be the same. As the year went by he endured excruciatingly treatments, which did not fully heal him. Don not only lost his sight, but all mobility in his hands. His healing process took more than a year; in fact it took six prolonged and agonizing years. Not to mend the physical scars, but the mental ones that followed his ordeal. Many people argue that voluntary euthanasia is “playing god”. Then we should also consider that every time a doctor brings a patient back to life, he is “playing god” in a medical way.

The second type is involuntary euthanasia: This term is considered to be murder, for the fact that the patient is unable to give a written or verbal consent (Encarta). There are many cases, of people that are involved in some type of accident, where the patient is considered brain dead or comatose. Numerous states have established a definition of brain death-the point when certain parts of the brain cease to function in a normal way-this is the time when it is legal to shut down a patient?s life-support system, with the consent of the patient?s relatives. However, there is an escalating problem among our Nation?s Health Service program, which provides health care at no cost for individuals who are unable to afford some type of health insurance (NHS). According to Dr. Rita Pal, doctors have allowed many elderly patients to die, and may have hastened their deaths, as a means of easing the resource crisis within the NHS (Pal). In the graphic below are some common ways that a person?s life maybe hastened

How is this happening?

The Method The Meaning

Withdraw Treatment Medication Stopped. Active management stopped

Withdraw Nutrition No feeding decreased nursing support, no intravenous access.

Use of Diamorphine for ?pain?. Can be written as PRN (as often as you like) This drug is indicated in the end stage of cancer patients and for relief of heart attack pain. It is also a common drug given to the elderly, which may, in some cases, shorten life. You must check and question why diamorphine is being given and whether your relative is truly ?in pain?.

Dehydration Death due to kidney failure

Cocktail of drugs It is very common for doctors to place elderly patients with multiple problems on many drugs. Drugs for heart failure, particularly, may not be monitored. If levels of ions in the blood are not regularly measured, this can be dangerous. A common ion is potassium, the levels of which are 3.5-5.5 mmol/l. Levels above this, eg7 mmol/l, may cause death.

(Pharmaceutical Press)

Dr. Rita Pal does support involuntary euthanasia in some situations, where further treatment will no longer benefit the patient. If euthanasia is legalized throughout the United States, involuntary euthanasia will have to have very strict guide lines, so that innocent people do not loose their lives, due to lack of money or that they have become a burden on society.

Active euthanasia also known as physician assisted suicide: involves painlessly putting individuals to death by administering some type of lethal dose of medication (Encarta). Active euthanasia is done at the pat