Ethical considerations at the end-of-life care


Creative Commons License

AKDENİZ M., YARDIMCI B., KAVUKCU E.

SAGE OPEN MEDICINE, vol.9, 2021 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Review
  • Volume: 9
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/20503121211000918
  • Journal Name: SAGE OPEN MEDICINE
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
  • Keywords: End-of-life care, ethics, advance directives, ethical dilemmas, decision-making
  • Akdeniz University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The goal of end-of-life care for dying patients is to prevent or relieve suffering as much as possible while respecting the patients' desires. However, physicians face many ethical challenges in end-of-life care. Since the decisions to be made may concern patients' family members and society as well as the patients, it is important to protect the rights, dignity, and vigor of all parties involved in the clinical ethical decision-making process. Understanding the principles underlying biomedical ethics is important for physicians to solve the problems they face in end-of-life care. The main situations that create ethical difficulties for healthcare professionals are the decisions regarding resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition and hydration, terminal sedation, withholding and withdrawing treatments, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide. Five ethical principles guide healthcare professionals in the management of these situations.