Citation

Borasio GD. Zeitschrift fur Medizinische Ethik 2009; 55(3): 235-242.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009)

DOI

10.14623/zfme.2009.3.235-242

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The debate about assisted suicide is often placed in the context of severely ill patients who would like to take advantage of this option to prevent or end what they perceive as unbearable suffering. In this article, assisted suicide is first distinguished from active euthanasia (mercy killing) and so-called passive euthanasia (withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining measures). From a palliative care perspective the so-called Garantenstellung (a German legal construct which obliges doctors to save a patient's live under all circumstances) should be abolished so as to improve suicide prevention. It is also argued that physician-assisted suicide should not be legalized, for both fundamental and pragmatic reasons. © Zeitschrift für medizinische Ethik.All rights reserved.

Language: de

Keywords

assisted suicide; pallliative medicine; prevention of suicide