When Should A Physician Help A Patient Die?
Here’s an interesting case. A young woman drinks antifreeze to commit suicide, writes a note saying she does not want any medical treatment and calls an ambulance so she can die peacefully with the help of medical support.
I read a lot on Happy Hospitalist about a patient’s right to demand what ever care they feel is necessary to keep them alive and the duty of the physician to provide whatever care the patient feels they require, no matter how costly or how miniscule the benefit. Readers like to say it’s not a physician’s obligation to make quality of life decisions for the patient.
So let’s analyze this situation. Does a patient have the right to demand medical care and the services of physicians to let them die without pain? Does a patient have the right to demand a physician order morphine and ativan to keep a depressed but physically intact patient comfortable as they slip away in a horrible antifreeze death under the care of medical personel? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at A Happy Hospitalist*