Weakening the ethical distinction between euthanasia, palliative opioid use and palliative sedation.

Abstract:

:Opioid and sedative use are common 'active' practices in the provision of mainstream palliative care services, and are typically distinguished from euthanasia on the basis that they do not shorten survival time. Even supposing that they did, it is often argued that they are justified and distinguished from euthanasia via appeal to Aquinas' Doctrine of Double Effect. In this essay, I will appraise the empirical evidence regarding opioid/sedative use and survival time, and argue for a position of agnosticism. I will then argue that the Doctrine of Double Effect is a useful ethical tool but is ultimately not a sound ethical principle, and even if it were, it is unclear whether palliative opioid/sedative use satisfy its four criteria. Although this essay does not establish any definitive proofs, it aims to provide reasons to doubt-and therefore weaken-the often-claimed ethical distinction between euthanasia and palliative opioid/sedative use.

journal_name

J Med Ethics

authors

Riisfeldt TD

doi

10.1136/medethics-2018-105074

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2019-02-01 00:00:00

pages

125-130

issue

2

eissn

0306-6800

issn

1473-4257

pii

medethics-2018-105074

journal_volume

45

pub_type

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