The most important ethical principle that supersedes all others is autonomy. From an ethical standpoint, this patient has the right to refuse further treatment as he is mentally competent, in this case in the form of having the respiratory removed. From a legal standpoint, the physician is allowed to discontinue treatment for a patient if that is what the patient wants. This is different from situations of physician assisted suicide, which is more complicated and has variable ethics and legality.
johnsonNo - treatment is being withdrawn per the mentally competent patient's wishes. m-ice explained it well. +4
johnsonNo - treatment is being withdrawn per the mentally competent patient's wishes. m-ice explained it well. +1
johnsonNo - treatment is being withdrawn per the mentally competent patient's wishes. m-ice explained it well. +1
proteinbound123In Physician-Assisted Suicide, the patient should be deemed “terminally ill” and “mentally competent” (by 2 different doctors) with less than 6 months to live (with or without treatment), he requests (written request, done twice, 15 -day interval) assistance to die and the doctor prescribes a lethal dose of a medication for the patient. If, in the meantime, the patient develops a life-threatening acute problem and requests the doctor to withhold or withdraw treatment, by the Principle of Autonomy the doctor should proceed as the patient wants. In fact, by the Principle of Autonomy, any competent patient has a right to refuse treatment. This concept is supported not only by the ethical principle of autonomy but also by U.S. statutes, regulations and case law. Competent adults can refuse care even if the care would likely save or prolong the patient's life.+2
And here I was thinking about whether it was ethical for the physician to discuss the matter with the children smh
madamestepAlthough: They aren't allowed to let themselves die if the only reason they give is they want to commit suicide! Here the patient wants to ed suffering, which is logical. It's not: I'm depressed and want to end my life.+
submitted by ∗m-ice(370)
The most important ethical principle that supersedes all others is autonomy. From an ethical standpoint, this patient has the right to refuse further treatment as he is mentally competent, in this case in the form of having the respiratory removed. From a legal standpoint, the physician is allowed to discontinue treatment for a patient if that is what the patient wants. This is different from situations of physician assisted suicide, which is more complicated and has variable ethics and legality.