Ethics of Concerns and Life Cessation Decisions

Abstract

"The emotional approach may be of particular value in the above described circumstances, and in critically ill patients where a dilemma exists as to whether to maintain life support or not, when all other approaches would fail, and should be estimated as necessary and sufficient for decision making. Those persons that invested the most of emotions (the closest relatives of the patient) would be the persons whose opinion should significantly influence a decision about life cessation in patients that otherwise would not qualify for life support. Then, intensive communication with the persons emotionally concerned would be an appropriate method that may lead to the decision which could satisfy moral and ontological criteria"