RESUMEN
Euthanasia is a complex medical procedure. Even though end of life decisions are common situations in health practice, there is a lack of consensus about their terminology. In this manuscript, the main concepts about this issue are defined and delimited; including active and passive euthanasia and limitation of therapeutic effort. Then, a revision is made about the international experience on euthanasia, to then go through the Chiles history in euthanasia and the populations opinion. In Chile, euthanasia is an act that has been removed from the social dialogue and legislation. In order to have an open discussion in our population about the issue, the debate has to be opened to the citizens, accompanied by clear medical information about the procedure.
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Eutanasia Pasiva/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Opinión Pública , ChileRESUMEN
The institution of active euthanasia has been legal in Colombia since 2015. In California, the regulation on physician-assisted suicide will come into effect on January 1, 2016. The legal institution of active euthanasia is not accepted under the law of the United States of America, however, physician-assisted suicide is accepted in an increasing number of member states. The related regulation in Oregon is imitated in other member states. In South America, Colombia is not the first country to legalize active euthanasia: active euthanasia has been legal in Uruguay since 1932. The North American legal tradition markedly differs from the South American one and both are incompatible with the Central European rule of law. In Hungary and in most European Union countries, solely the passive form of euthanasia is legal. In the Benelux countries, the active form of euthanasia is legal because the supranational law of the European Union does not prohibit it. Notwithstanding, European Union law does not prescribe legalization of either the active form of euthanasia, or the physician-assisted suicide.
Asunto(s)
Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Activa/estadística & datos numéricos , Homicidio/legislación & jurisprudencia , Derechos Humanos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Suicidio Asistido/legislación & jurisprudencia , Suicidio Asistido/estadística & datos numéricos , California/epidemiología , Colombia/epidemiología , Humanos , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Euthanasia is a complex medical procedure. Even though end of life decisions are common situations in health practice, there is a lack of consensus about their terminology. In this manuscript, the main concepts about this issue are defined and delimited; including active and passive euthanasia and limitation of therapeutic effort. Then, a revision is made about the international experience on euthanasia, to then go through the Chiles history in euthanasia and the populations opinion. In Chile, euthanasia is an act that has been removed from the social dialogue and legislation. In order to have an open discussion in our population about the issue, the debate has to be opened to the citizens, accompanied by clear medical information about the procedure.
Asunto(s)
Eutanasia Activa , Eutanasia Pasiva , Chile , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Pasiva/legislación & jurisprudencia , Humanos , Opinión PúblicaRESUMEN
International situation on euthanasia varies among countries. Even though in most of the countries worldwide active euthanasia is forbidden by law, to the date four countries (The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Colombia) have approved and regulated by law active euthanasia (defined as physicians intentionally administering a treatment -usually medication- to cause the patients death, with the patients full, informed consent). For a country like Chile, in which all types of euthanasia are forbidden by law, it is important to look forward to the international situation, in order to enrich public policy debate, based on the international empirical experience.
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Activa/métodos , Eutanasia Activa/normas , Eutanasia Activa/tendenciasRESUMEN
The passive form of euthanasia is legalized almost in every civilized country. Its active form is not a generally accepted legal institution. In Europe, active euthanasia is legalized only in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. In Australia, the Act on the Rights of the Terminally Ill of 1995 legalized the institution of assisted suicide, which is not identical to active euthanasia. The difference lies in the fact that legalized active euthanasia means that the author of a murder is not punishable (under certain circumstances), whilst assisted suicide is not about murder, rather about suicide. In the first case, the patient is killed on his or her request by someone else. In the second case, the patient himself or herself executes the act of self-killing (by the assistance of a healthcare worker). In Australia, the institution of assisted suicide was repealed in 1997. Assisted suicide is legal in four USA member states: in Vermont, Washington, Montana and Oregon. In Uruguay, the active form of euthanasia has been legal since 1932.
Asunto(s)
Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Pasiva/legislación & jurisprudencia , Turismo Médico/legislación & jurisprudencia , Derechos del Paciente/legislación & jurisprudencia , Autonomía Personal , Personeidad , Calidad de Vida , Suicidio Asistido/legislación & jurisprudencia , Actitud Frente a la Muerte , Australia , Cristianismo , Características Culturales , Europa (Continente) , Eutanasia Activa/ética , Eutanasia Activa/tendencias , Eutanasia Pasiva/ética , Eutanasia Pasiva/tendencias , Homicidio/legislación & jurisprudencia , Homicidio/prevención & control , Humanos , Jurisprudencia , Turismo Médico/ética , Turismo Médico/tendencias , Derechos del Paciente/ética , Derechos del Paciente/tendencias , Suicidio Asistido/ética , Suicidio Asistido/tendencias , Enfermo Terminal , Tanatología , Estados Unidos , UruguayRESUMEN
The Bill of Rights for Patients provides the patient with autonomy for disposing of his life, enabling him to reject those treatments that unnecessarily prolong his life. However, the bill does not allow an artificial acceleration of death. Therefore, the bill does not permit euthanasia (at least, certain form of it) nor assisted-suicide. However, according to the practice of medicine and also Chilean doctrine, it is permitted to inject morphine to a patient to relieve his pain, even though that could hasten his death. In consequence, it is allowed for the patient to dispose of his life and also to inject in him morphine for pain relief, endangering his life, but neither euthanasia nor assisted-suicide is allowed. Is this coherent? According to Chilean doctrine, it could be coherent under the condition of accepting the distinction between killing and letting die and also the double effect doctrine. The problem is that there is abundant English literature in the realm of moral philosophy to disregard both conditions. Therefore, it is possible to claim that the Bill is not coherent and that the Chilean doctrine is based upon a distinction and a doctrine that are not acceptable.
Asunto(s)
Principio del Doble Efecto , Eutanasia Activa , Eutanasia Pasiva , Derecho a Morir , Analgésicos Opioides/administración & dosificación , Discusiones Bioéticas , Chile , Eutanasia Activa/ética , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Pasiva/ética , Eutanasia Pasiva/legislación & jurisprudencia , Humanos , Morfina/administración & dosificación , Derecho a Morir/éticaRESUMEN
The Bill of Rights for Patients provides the patient with autonomy for disposing of his life, enabling him to reject those treatments that unnecessarily prolong his life. However, the bill does not allow an artificial acceleration of death. Therefore, the bill does not permit euthanasia (at least, certain form of it) nor assisted-suicide. However, according to the practice of medicine and also Chilean doctrine, it is permitted to inject morphine to a patient to relieve his pain, even though that could hasten his death. In consequence, it is allowed for the patient to dispose of his life and also to inject in him morphine for pain relief, endangering his life, but neither euthanasia nor assisted-suicide is allowed. Is this coherent? According to Chilean doctrine, it could be coherent under the condition of accepting the distinction between killing and letting die and also the double effect doctrine. The problem is that there is abundant English literature in the realm of moral philosophy to disregard both conditions. Therefore, it is possible to claim that the Bill is not coherent and that the Chilean doctrine is based upon a distinction and a doctrine that are not acceptable.
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Principio del Doble Efecto , Eutanasia Activa , Eutanasia Pasiva , Derecho a Morir , Analgésicos Opioides/administración & dosificación , Discusiones Bioéticas , Chile , Eutanasia Activa , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Pasiva , Eutanasia Pasiva/legislación & jurisprudencia , Morfina/administración & dosificación , Derecho a MorirAsunto(s)
Actitud Frente a la Muerte , Cuidado Terminal , Árboles de Decisión , Eutanasia Activa/ética , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Humanos , Hipnóticos y Sedantes/uso terapéutico , Cuidados para Prolongación de la Vida/ética , Cuidados para Prolongación de la Vida/legislación & jurisprudencia , Cuidados para Prolongación de la Vida/psicología , Cuidados Paliativos , Cuidado Terminal/ética , Cuidado Terminal/legislación & jurisprudencia , Cuidado Terminal/métodos , Cuidado Terminal/psicología , Enfermo Terminal/psicologíaRESUMEN
During the clinical evolution of patients with cancer there are many occasions, or phases of the disease, when there are no specific treatments and, as such, we need to provide maximum comfort following appropriate symptom control; in this stage it is fundamental to respect personal autonomy together with the option to reject futile treatment. With appropriate control of symptoms it is possible to reach the stage where the majority of the patients do not continue to suffer. Continuous-care providers for cancer patients are those who are responsible for providing help to resolve these situations. In palliative medicine there are highly-efficacious procedures to the help in these last hours. Sedation is applied when it is impossible to control symptoms by other means. With appropriate Carer cover, it is not necessary to introduce laws on assisted suicide and/or active voluntary euthanasia, neither because of the magnitude of demand, nor because of the difficulties in achieving appropriate control of symptoms.
Asunto(s)
Cuidadores , Eutanasia , Neoplasias/terapia , Grupo de Atención al Paciente , Cuidado Terminal/métodos , Australia , Europa (Continente) , Eutanasia/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Activa/ética , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Activa/psicología , Eutanasia Pasiva/ética , Eutanasia Pasiva/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Pasiva/psicología , Humanos , Japón , Inutilidad Médica , Neoplasias/psicología , Cuidados Paliativos , Autonomía Personal , Derecho a Morir/legislación & jurisprudencia , Suicidio Asistido/legislación & jurisprudencia , Cuidado Terminal/ética , Cuidado Terminal/legislación & jurisprudencia , Cuidado Terminal/psicología , Enfermo Terminal/psicología , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Actualmente la acepción predominante de la eutanasia es la acción u omisión que permite, acelera o provoca la muerte de un paciente terminal o de un recién nacido con graves malformaciones, para evitar sus sufrimientos. El concepto implica la intervención de un agente distinto del enfermo y que ella se realice por el bien de éste, movida por la compasión. Eutanasia significa etimológicamente buen morir. La muerte entendida como uno de los principales ritos de paso, es decir, el cambio incontrovertible de una situación biológica a otra es acompañada de rituales explicativos, los que en último término pretenden asimilarla culturalmente intentando una ayuda al morir, es decir, la obtención de un buen morir, el que se expresará de acuerdo a la significación elaborada frente a este cambio irreversible. El contexto cultural que envuelve a la eutanasia transforma en forma muy diversa su significado moral. Las culturas primitivas se inclinaban a evitar el dolor de los moribundos acelerando de diferentes maneras la aparición de la muerte. humanizaban la muerte, ayudando a su aparición. Aplicando esta misma intención, concebían que los niños minusválidos eran potencialmente portadores de discriminación y sufrimiento a lo largo de su vida, y por lo tanto podían ser eliminados, teniendo en cuenta que en la polis todo habitante cumplía con un rol determinado, no sólo para obtener su propia felicidad, sino para mantener el orden social exigido. El aborto, antes de aparecer la sensación de la vida (etapas precoces del embarazo), era aceptado por Aristóteles. La aparición de la medicina en Grecia nace junto con el intento de curar la enfermedad, la institucionalización médica de la eutanasia.
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Bioética , Eutanasia/historia , Derecho a Morir/historia , Eutanasia Activa/ética , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Eutanasia Pasiva/ética , Calidad de Vida , Suicidio Asistido/ética , Suicidio Asistido/legislación & jurisprudenciaAsunto(s)
Eutanasia Activa/ética , Eutanasia Activa/legislación & jurisprudencia , Internacionalidad , Política Pública , Comités Consultivos , Australia , Canadá , Colombia , Teoría Ética , Eugenesia , Europa (Continente) , Adhesión a Directriz , Derechos Humanos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Humanos , Intención , Japón , Jurisprudencia , Opinión Pública , Religión , Derecho a Morir , Suicidio Asistido/legislación & jurisprudencia , Estados Unidos , Valor de la VidaRESUMEN
Dada la confusión conceptual que existe en relación con la expresión eutanasia, el objetivo de la presente monografia consiste, precisamente, en dilucidar el sentido y alcance de esta expresión desde una perspectiva juridico-penal, para asi poder determinar qué conductas son penalmente relevantes y cuáles deben ser necesariamente excluidas del ámbito del ius puniendi. Como paso siguiente, el autor analiza los elementos determinantes de las conductas eutanásicas, consideradas siempre desde la perspectiva penal. Una vez precisado el alcance de la expresi¢n, es posible analizar dichas conductas desde el punto de vista de su tipificación objetiva, para revisar, posteriormente, algunas legislaciones latinoamericanas que tipifican expresamente dichas prácticas. Finalmente, se analizará la factibilidad ética y jur¡dica de una legislaci¢n propiamente eutanásica, a la luz del principiode la dignidad de la persona humana, reconocido explicita o impl¡citamente porlos principales instrumentos internacionales y por todas los c¢digos politicos de los Estados sociales y democráticos de derecho.