Euthanasia and Advanced Medical Directive

Question 1

The AMD Act provides for and gives legal effect to, advanced directives to medical practitioners against the
Simply put the AMD is a legal document that allows you to?

Answer 1

Artificial prolongation of the dying process and for matters connected herewith

To voice your wishes in the future in the event of dying - the choice to reject Extraordinary Life-sustaining treatment in the event of a terminal illness

Question 2

The process of creating an AMD involves?

Answer 2

Mentally competent >21 years old

This process must be witnessed by 2 witnesses present at the same time, one of which should be the patient’s medical practitioner or any practitioner of his/her choice

The other person who has attained 21 years of age

Question 3

Can the AMD be revoked?

Answer 3

The AMD can be revoked at any time
with the presence of at least one witness

Question 4

Does the AMD affect palliative care?

Answer 4

AMD does not apply to palliative care
It is the reasonable medical procedure for the relief of pain, suffering/discomfort as well as a reasonable provision of food and water

Question 5

What is NOT Euthanasia?

Answer 5

• The withdrawal of medically futile treatment
• Providing medications to relieve pain but may risk shortening of life (Double effect)
• Respecting the patient’s decision to refuse treatment

Question 6

What are the types of Euthanasia? Describe them

Answer 6

Active/Passive
Active Euthanasia to actively hasten the death of a person

Passive Euthanasia is the act of withholding treatment, the lack of would result in the death of the person (DNR)

Voluntary/Involuntary
Voluntary euthanasia is done at the patient’s request

In involuntary euthanasia, the patient is unconscious, or unable to make a meaningful choice between living and dying and a appropriate person takes over the decision on their behalf

Physician assisted suicide
The physician provides the individual, with the information, guidance and the means for the patient to commit suicide, with the intention, that they will be used for that purpose

Providing drugs for the person & putting the drug within their reach
May assist suicide by manually discontinuing a ventilator, stopping dialysis or terminating feeding tubes

Question 7

What is Euthanasia?

Answer 7

Euthanasia is defined as dying well, a good death
or mercy killing

Question 8

Ethical Views of euthanasia (Ethical Theories)

Answer 8

Consequentialism
Euthanasia cannot possibly induce any form of pleasure by the individual, or by the aggregate society.

Deontology
With euthanasia, there is no moral code that exists that fosters the ideology that self- termination is the right and moral thing to do even if one is suffering an ill fate.

Question 9

What are the main arguments against Euthanasia?

Answer 9

• devalues human life
• “slippery slope” effect →
  euthanasia has been first
  been legalized for only the
  terminally ill but later laws
  changed …
• patient’s right to die- licenses
  the Dr the duty to kill?
• health care cost containment?

Question 10

What are the main arguments for Euthanasia?

Answer 10

Autonomy argument
Compassionate argument
Public policy argument