Euthanasia

Euthanasia

Miguel Villanueva

Medical Law and Ethics

Euthanasia is defined as the intentional putting to death of a person with an incurable or painful disease intended as an act of mercy.^[1] In this paper I will discuss many topics regarding euthanasia, from the three types of euthanasia to some medical cases that involved euthanasia. There are three types of euthanasia voluntary, non-voluntary, and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when a patient ask for action to be taken to end his/her life, or to stop lifesaving procedures. Non-voluntary euthanasia is also known as mercy killing is when the patient can’t give consent because they are in a vegetative state or a just simply in too much pain so the medical person kills them. Lastly, involuntary euthanasia s when a patient is killed without the patient having any knowledge of it.

Euthanasia of humans is illegal in the United States. Although some states have legalized voluntary euthanasia. States like Washington and Vermont have made it legal for what is called physician assisted suicide, if the patient is into much pain they may ask the physician to stop treatment and they themselves administer the lethal dose. Autonomy in regards to euthanasia is a controversial issue right now. Autonomy is the patient’s right to choose his/her care. In regards to euthanasia it’s completely ignored as a lot of people believe that when the patient reaches the point to ask to be euthanized there is a high probability that the person is not in a right state of mind to make that decision. Some believe that if a patient chooses for end of life they should be allowed because it is their right to choose whether or not they receive treatment.

Euthanasia is illegal in the United States. Some states do have laws regarding Physician Aid Dying. Or assisted suicide. Washington, Oregon, California, Vermont and one county in New Mexico. Assisted suicide is legal, assisted suicide is when the medical professional does not administer the lethal dose. The patient dictates when or whether they will inject themselves with the lethal dose. In many countries euthanasia is also illegal, but there are a handful of countries that euthanasia is legal. Those countries are: Netherland, Belgium, Luxemburg, and Colombia.^[2] In other countries passive euthanasia is legal. Passive euthanasia is when a medical professional can pull the plug on the patient at the patient’s request, but can’t administer the deadly dose.^[3] 

The AMA’s stance on euthanasia is a negative one. The American Medical Association believes that no physician should be involved in any form of euthanasia as it will pose not only ethical issues but legal issues. By the medical professional participating in euthanasia, they open a can of worms which could lead to social, financial, and financial backlash. The AMA believes that when a patient is told that there is nothing further to do to cure them. The medical professional should stay there for support, pain management, and good communication.^[4] There is also the fact that when someone decides that they are going to be a doctor, they have to live by the Hippocratic Oath. Within the Hippocratic Oath there is a line that states “I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel”^[5] Meaning that if a physician participates in euthanasia they are going against the oath that they swore by.

There are a lot of ethical issues when a medical professional participates in euthanasia. First, the medical professional swore to do no harm to a person under their care no matter what. When the medical professional participates in any form of euthanasia, they are throwing away all their ethics out of the window. A medical professional is supposed to heal people by participating in euthanasia the medical professional is doing the complete opposite. Some medical professionals believe they are doing the right thing by putting some patients out of their misery.

Karen Quinlan was a 21 year old woman who pretty much put herself in a coma by ingesting a cocktail of drugs while doing a crash diet. Miss Quinlan is considered an important figure in the right to die controversy. Karen Quinlan was left in a vegetative state, the parents asked the doctors to please unplug their daughter as they considered this extraordinary measures. The physicians refused which led to a legal battle in which the parents won. The parents kept Karen Quinlan connected to a feeding tube as they considered this no extraordinary measures until she passed away 9 years later. Her case led to ethical committees being formed for hospitals, hospice care centers, and nursing homes^[6]. Another important case was the Nancy Cruzan case. Nancy Cruzan was a woman who crashed her car and was ejected from her car and landed in a ditch. When the EMTs found her she was unconscious and they resuscitated her, after three weeks in a coma she was declared brain dead. The surgeons decided that they were going to intubate her for her long term care. Her parents felt that her daughter would not want to be intubated but the courts disagreed. The parents went back and found more proof which led to a reversal of the original decision and the tube was removed. Nancy Cruzan died a short time later. Nancy Cruzan’s Case led to the creation of advanced directives.^[7]