Ethical issues involved in the care of dying patients: a problem-oriented approach

The ethical dilemmas involved in the care of the dying patient are numerous and complicated. This issue is of particular difficulty, since there is no single, absolutely correct answer to most of the relevant problems. In order to enhance the ability of the responsible care-provider to attain morally defensible decisions or to provide morally sound recommendations, an ethical problem-oriented list is offered. This checklist is divided into four major categories, each of which is further subdivided into detailed questions and suppositions. This problem-oriented register coupled with a comprehensive bibliography should help avoid wrong moral assessments and decisions that may be the result of negligence and oversight of pertinent facts and principles.