tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216787076261944467.post1265735666169718588..comments2024-03-28T13:26:59.030-04:00Comments on Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: Emotional and Psychological Effects of Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia on Participating PhysiciansAlex Schadenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649977828342637842noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216787076261944467.post-28474479713994532562013-05-28T10:04:17.566-04:002013-05-28T10:04:17.566-04:00Dear Winston:
There are huge differences between ...Dear Winston:<br /><br />There are huge differences between withdrawing a ventilator and euthanasia.<br /><br />1. Withdrawing a ventilator does not always result in the death of the person, often the person continues to live. Lethal injection always causes the death of the person.<br /><br />2. If a person dies after the ventilator is withdrawn, they died from natural causes. Oxygen was readily available to them, unless a bag was put over their head. In the case of a lethal injection, it is an intentional death by lethal dose, not a natural death.<br /><br />3. Sometimes the ventilator is only keeping the dying body breathing, but in the case of a lethal injection it causes a living body to die.<br /><br />And I could go on.<br /><br />The belief that there is no difference between killing and letting die is a modern fallacy.Alex Schadenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07649977828342637842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216787076261944467.post-31688561070819421102013-05-26T06:18:41.014-04:002013-05-26T06:18:41.014-04:00It is if they can't breathe without it. The on...It is if they can't breathe without it. The only difference is time until death. There's no moral or ethical difference.<br /><br />I take it you aren't interested in conducting such a study. Are you afraid it'll reveal that doctors who use terminal sedation might see themselves as "killers"?Winstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14029187310122412297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216787076261944467.post-7582487533031394602013-05-25T21:14:50.045-04:002013-05-25T21:14:50.045-04:00Removing a respirator is not the same as lethally ...Removing a respirator is not the same as lethally injecting someone.<br /><br />Nonetheless, it would be a good study. Why don't you do that study Winston?Alex Schadenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07649977828342637842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216787076261944467.post-65397022064938006352013-05-25T19:02:59.655-04:002013-05-25T19:02:59.655-04:00Why were no studies done concerning the possible t...Why were no studies done concerning the possible trauma endured by physicians who remove respirators or help patients through terminal sedation?Winstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14029187310122412297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216787076261944467.post-16015792805148847582013-05-25T09:57:06.454-04:002013-05-25T09:57:06.454-04:00I appreciate and commend Kenneth Stevens on his wo...I appreciate and commend Kenneth Stevens on his work surveying the effects on physicians of assisting in the dying of one of their patients. I am the last to deny the severity of such assistance on a doctor's mind (<i>see my answers 1580 and 1585 to Lady Finlay's questions in this survey</i>), but want to emphasize that in this report the second part of my argument was left out. The psychological weight more or less guarantees that a physician will firstly try to prevent this action (a guarantee for abuse!), but - when deciding after careful considerations and communications with the patient to comply because no real alternatives were available - finds the relieve of his patient, that his hopeless and unbearable suffering will end, to counterbalance this weight more then sufficiently.<br /><br />And I wonder when this survey was made? All citations are from at least more then 8 years old - most of the Dutch are even from years before the law was passed!<br /><br />Rob Jonquière, MD<br />Amsterdam, NL<br /> rob jonquierenoreply@blogger.com