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Life support: the doctor's dilemma--moral issues

R B Purtilo1

  • 1Creighton University, Center for Health Policy and Ethics, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, USA.

Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore
|March 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Doctors face life support dilemmas due to advanced medical capabilities. Traditional ethics guide actions, but "ethical permissibility" offers solutions for complex life-support decisions, balancing patient well-being and medical possibilities.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Bioethics
  • Clinical Practice

Background:

  • Modern medicine enables life prolongation, creating complex ethical challenges for physicians.
  • Traditional ethical duties (respect life, beneficence, fidelity, non-maleficence) offer guidance but are insufficient for all life support dilemmas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the ethical considerations surrounding life support decisions.
  • To introduce the concept of "ethical permissibility" as a framework for navigating complex life support dilemmas.

Main Methods:

  • Ethical analysis of life support scenarios.
  • Review of traditional medical ethics principles.
  • Discussion of concepts like withholding/withdrawing life support, ordinary/extraordinary measures, proportionality, and medical futility.

Main Results:

  • Traditional ethical frameworks provide a foundation but do not fully address all life support dilemmas.
  • The concept of ethical permissibility allows for the most ethical course of action in challenging situations, even if not ideal.

Conclusions:

  • Ethical permissibility is a crucial concept for resolving life support dilemmas.
  • Ongoing ethical debate enriches understanding and practice regarding withholding/withdrawing life support and related concepts.
Keywords:
Death and Euthanasia

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