- 1. Euthanasia - anticipating death
- Types of euthanasia
- Countries where euthanasia is legal
- 2. Orthothanasia - the act of dying naturally
- 3. Dysthanasia - prolong life through treatment
Euthanasia, dysthanasia and orthothanasia are terms that define forms of medical approach in relation to the patient's death. Thus, euthanasia is defined as the act of "anticipating death", dysthanasia characterizes "a slow death, with suffering", while orthothanasia represents "natural death, without anticipation or prolongation".
These concepts are widely discussed in the context of bioethics, which is the area that investigates the necessary conditions for a responsible management of human, animal and environmental life, as opinions may vary in relation to the support or not of these practices.
However, in general, euthanasia is prohibited by law in most countries, while dysthanasia is considered a bad practice in medicine, and orthothanasia is a good practice, being recommended when caring for people with incurable and terminal diseases..
1. Euthanasia - anticipating death
Euthanasia is the act of shortening a person's life. This is a word of Greek origin, which means "good death", because its intention, when practiced, is to end the suffering of the person who lives a serious and incurable disease.
However, euthanasia is illegal in most countries, as it involves human life, the most precious asset you can have. Professionals against this practice claim that human life is inviolable, and no one has the right to shorten it, and, in addition, it is very difficult to define which people can still have their suffering relieved without having to anticipate their death.
Types of euthanasia
There are different types of euthanasia, which better define how this anticipation of death will be done, and include:
- Voluntary active euthanasia: it is done by administering medications or performing some procedure in order to lead the patient to death, after his consent; Assisted suicide: it is the act performed when the doctor provides medication so that the patient himself can shorten his life; Involuntary active euthanasia: it is the administration of medications or procedures to bring the patient to death, in a situation in which the patient has not previously consented. This practice is illegal in all countries.
It is important to remember that there is a different form of euthanasia called passive euthanasia, characterized by the suspension or termination of medical treatments that keep the patient's life, without offering any medicine for its abbreviation. This term is not widely used, as it is considered that, in this case, the person's death is not caused, but rather, it is intended to allow the patient to die naturally and, therefore, is not illegal. This act is included in the practice of orthothanasia, explained further below.
Countries where euthanasia is legal
Active euthanasia or assisted suicide are legalized in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Colombia, Canada and in some states in the United States of America.
These countries consider that the person of legal age, with informed consent and signed, or a minor with parental consent, has the right to decide to die in specific situations, such as in the case of an incurable disease that causes suffering.
2. Orthothanasia - the act of dying naturally
Orthothanasia promotes a natural, dignified death that follows the course of life, without making treatments considered futile, invasive and artificial to keep the person alive and prolong death, such as breathing through devices, for example.
Orthothanasia is practiced through palliative care, an approach that seeks to maintain the quality of life of the patient, and his family, in cases of serious and incurable diseases, helping to control physical, psychological, social and spiritual symptoms. Understand what palliative care is and when it is indicated.
Thus, in orthothanasia, death is seen as something natural that every human being will go through, seeking the goal that is not to shorten or postpone death, but rather to seek the best way to go through it, maintaining the person's dignity. who is sick.
3. Dysthanasia - prolong life through treatment
Dysthanasia is the act of prolonging the day of a person's death, thereby prolonging pain and suffering. Thus, dysthanasia is considered a bad medical practice, as it promotes a slow death, through treatments considered futile and without benefits for the terminally ill person.
This term, also known as therapeutic obstinacy, is still, unfortunately, widely practiced in Brazil and worldwide, due to the lack of knowledge of the population about what is considered useful or not for a person with a serious and incurable disease.
To decrease this type of practice, it is necessary to understand that there are cases in which death is inevitable, and that prolonging the process of dying only promotes a life without quality, resulting in a slow death, increasing the chances of suffering, pain and agony for the patient and the family that accompanies this process.
