open access

Vol 3, No 1 (2018)
REVIEW ARTICLE
Published online: 2018-06-12
Get Citation

THE LIMITS OF PERSISTENT THERAPY

Brygida Krucinska1, Monika Saran1, Lukasz Czyzewski2
·
Disaster Emerg Med J 2018;3(1):22-25.
Affiliations
  1. Student Research Circle, Poland
  2. Department of Nephrology Nursing, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland

open access

Vol 3, No 1 (2018)
REVIEW ARTICLE
Published online: 2018-06-12

Abstract

The growing average life expectancy of human beings is one of the greatest achievements of medicine. From the dawn of mankind, death has been associated with pain, suffering, loss and a series of many other negative emotions. Although it is an inseparable part of human existence, it is difficult to define it unequivocally, and the clarification of this phenomenon has been worked on, from antiquity, by medics, philosophers, clergy and psychologists, seeking to know man in the physiological, psychological, religious, social spheres [1]. The fact is that human life is the highest value, which is why there is a lot of controversy about making the decision to stop persistent therapy. The article is a review of the present problem, namely the cessation of persistent therapy, in an era of the development of medicine.

Abstract

The growing average life expectancy of human beings is one of the greatest achievements of medicine. From the dawn of mankind, death has been associated with pain, suffering, loss and a series of many other negative emotions. Although it is an inseparable part of human existence, it is difficult to define it unequivocally, and the clarification of this phenomenon has been worked on, from antiquity, by medics, philosophers, clergy and psychologists, seeking to know man in the physiological, psychological, religious, social spheres [1]. The fact is that human life is the highest value, which is why there is a lot of controversy about making the decision to stop persistent therapy. The article is a review of the present problem, namely the cessation of persistent therapy, in an era of the development of medicine.

Get Citation

Keywords

persistent therapy, intensive therapy, death

About this article
Title

THE LIMITS OF PERSISTENT THERAPY

Journal

Disaster and Emergency Medicine Journal

Issue

Vol 3, No 1 (2018)

Pages

22-25

Published online

2018-06-12

Page views

1990

Article views/downloads

781

DOI

10.5603/DEMJ.2018.0005

Bibliographic record

Disaster Emerg Med J 2018;3(1):22-25.

Keywords

persistent therapy
intensive therapy
death

Authors

Brygida Krucinska
Monika Saran
Lukasz Czyzewski

References (23)
  1. Becker R. The evolution of the operational definition of human death. Right and Medicine. 2015; 2(59, 17): 52–59.
  2. Bołoz W. The definition of overzealous therapy. The consensus of the Polish Working Group on End-of-Life Ethics. Advances in Palliative Medicine. 2008; 7(3): 91–92.
  3. Aszyk P. Ethical faces of ancient medicine. Rhetos, Warsaw 2010.
  4. Plato . trans. Witwicki W. The Republic. Antyk, Kęty 2003.
  5. Bartoszek A. Man in the face of suffering and dying. Moral aspects of palliative care. Księgarnia św. Jacek, Katowice 2000.
  6. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of April 2, 1997, Journal of Laws from 1997. No. 78, item 483 as amended.
  7. The Act of November 6, 2008 on Patient Rights and the Patient's Rights Omitted from 2012, item 159.
  8. Bołoz W, Krajnik M. Definition of Persistent Therapy. Consensus of the Polish Working Group on Ethical Issues of the End of Life, Palliative Medicine in Practice. 2008; 2: 77–78.
  9. Wichrowski M. Logical analysis of the term "persistent therapy". Palliative care for children. 2009; 17: 53–57.
  10. Lessius L. Justice and the rights of other cardinal virtues, Moretus Plantinian, 1632, based on: Limits of treatment, Aszyk P. Rhetos, Warsaw 2006: 46.
  11. John Paul II frequently used this phrase as a characteristic “formula” that defined the attitude of the Catholic Church towards the issues of human life protection. John Paul II. Evangelium Vitae Encyclical; no. 2 (later referred to as: EV).
  12. Bartoszek A. Man in the face of suffering and dying: moral aspects of palliative care. Katowice, 2000; M. Machinek: The issue of persistent therapy in the light of the Church Magisterium. Med. Paliat. Practice. 2008; 2(3): 33–40.
  13. Rubin SB. When Doctors Say No. The Battleground of Medical Futility. Indiana University Press, Indianapolis 1998: 45–60.
  14. Kübler A, Siewiera J, Durek G, et al. Guidelines for the ineffective maintenance of organ functions (futile therapy) in ICU patients incapable of giving informed statements of will. Anestezjologia Intensywna Terapia. 2014; 46: 215–220.
  15. Pessini L. Distanase: how long can life be prolonged? Publisher Centro Universitario São Camilo: Loyola, São Paulo 2001: 12–20.
  16. Beauchamp TL, Childress JF. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 7th Ed. Oxford University Press, New York 2013.
  17. Valentin A, Druml W, Steltzer H, et al. Recommendations on therapy limitation and therapy discontinuation in intensive care units: Consensus Paper of the Austrian Associations of Intensive Care Medicine. Intensive Care Medicine. 2008; 34(4): 771–776.
  18. Tałaj A, Suchorzewska J. Attitudes of nurses and midwives towards the sick and suffering in the aspect of binding legal and moral norms. Nursing Topics. 2007; 15(1): 32–38.
  19. Tolarczyk A. Attitudes towards the death of hospice and anesthetic nurses. In: Krajewska-Kułak E, Szczepański M, Łukaszuk C, Lewko J. ed. Therapeutic and nursing problems from conception to old age. Volume II. Publisher of the Medical Academy in Bialystok, Białystok 2007: 181–187.
  20. Centre for Public Opinion Research The "Current problems and events" study (270) was conducted on November 8-17, 2012 on a representative sample of 952 adults in Poland, Warsaw, BS / 3/2013.
  21. Costa JC, Lima RA. Funeral team: reports from nursing professionals about caring for a child/adolescent in the process of death and dying. Rev. Latino-Am. Nursing. 2005; 13(2): 151–157.
  22. Poles K, Bousso RS. Sharing the death process with the family: a nurse's experience in the pediatric ICU]. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2006; 14(2): 207–213.
  23. Rutkowska M. Recommendations for dealing with the mother and a newborn born on the verge of survival, taking into account ethical aspects. Perinatology, Neonatology and Gynecology. 2012; 5(1): 5–13.

Regulations

Important: This website uses cookies. More >>

The cookies allow us to identify your computer and find out details about your last visit. They remembering whether you've visited the site before, so that you remain logged in - or to help us work out how many new website visitors we get each month. Most internet browsers accept cookies automatically, but you can change the settings of your browser to erase cookies or prevent automatic acceptance if you prefer.

By VM Media Group sp. z o.o., ul. Świętokrzyska 73, 80–180 Gdańsk, Poland
tel.:+48 58 320 94 94, fax:+48 58 320 94 60, e-mail: viamedica@viamedica.pl