Citation

Schöch H. Gynakologe 2007; 40(12): 954-959.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00129-007-2074-8

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Legislation is supposed to facilitate responsible medical decisions by doctors in the context of terminal care, whereas legal uncertainty often leads to an extensive "medicine of justification" that contradicts medical ethos. In contrast to a widespread misinterpretation, the termination or limitation of life-supporting measures (e. g. parenteral nutrition) is not a forbidden active euthanasia, but an unprohibited passive euthanasia, if the patient has expressly asked for it, if he has ordered to do so within a valid advance directive in case of his inability to decide, if this is according to his presumed will or if the dying process has already begun. Whereas active euthanasia remains a criminal act in Germany, assisted suicide is not prohibited, even though it is rejected by the majority of doctors for reasons of occupational ethics. © 2007 Springer Medizin Verlag.

Language: de

Keywords

law; Germany; medical ethics; review; euthanasia; terminal care; active euthanasia; passive euthanasia; Assisted suicide; parenteral nutrition; Active euthanasia; Advance directive; Limitation of treatment; Terminal care