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End of Life Decisions

In: Science

Submitted By beazy7
Words 717
Pages 3
End of Life Decisions
Brandon Irving
Grand Canyon University
HLT322
10/25/09

Abstract
With anything that is done in the medical field there will be ethical issues that surround it. Since we are only on this earth for so long then death becomes one of those issues that we must face. With the new advancements in technology death can become complicated. Also since we have other issues such as euthanasia involved things will only get even more complicated. Euthanasia, definition of death, living will decisions, and ethical issues surrounding these subjects will be discussed.
End of Life Decisions No one living on this earth will live forever. It comes a point in time when we all must go. Our bodies are not made that way and they start to break down. Once deterioration happens or if a person comes into physical contact that causes the body too much trauma then death occurs. In the past twenty years four concepts of death have emerged, traditional, whole-brain, higher-brain, and personhood. Each one of these versions of death has ethical issues surrounding them and complicate important end of life decisions. Ethical issues surrounding when a person is dying is euthanasia and end of life decisions such has a person being on life support or having a feeding tube. Euthanasia is define as “The act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy” (n.d. Merriam-Webster). There are different types of euthanasia such as active, passive, involuntary, and voluntary. “Active euthanasia is the deliberate action of a person to end the life of a dying patient in order to prevent additional suffering. Passive euthanasia is deliberate cessation of treatment or disconnection of life support. Another delineation is voluntary vs. involuntary

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