Question 1

What type of care involves not just ceasing medical interventions that would prolong a person's life,but also taking steps that would hasten death?

Accepted Answer

Active euthanasia involves taking deliberate steps to end a person's life, such as administering a lethal injection. This differs from passive euthanasia, which involves withholding or withdrawing medical treatment with the knowledge that it may lead to the person's death. Active palliative care aims to relieve suffering in terminally ill individuals without hastening death, while passive palliative care aims to provide comfort care without any interventions that could hasten or prolong the person's life.

Question 2

The most controversial part of euthanasia is for cases where the dying person ____.

Accepted Answer

The most controversial part of euthanasia is for cases where the dying person is incapacitated, as they are unable to make their own decisions about their end-of-life care.

Question 3

What type of care involves ceasing medical interventions that would prolong a person's life?

Accepted Answer

Passive euthanasia is a form of deliberate intervention where medical treatment that is keeping a person alive is withheld or withdrawn in order to end suffering and allow a natural death to occur. This is often done when the patient has a terminal illness, is in a persistent vegetative state, or is otherwise unable to express their wishes regarding end-of-life care. It is important to note that passive euthanasia is legal in some countries and jurisdictions, while active euthanasia (where a person takes action to end someone's life) is generally considered illegal.

Question 4

There are two types of euthanasia: ____ involves ceasing medical interventions that would prolong a person's life,whereas ____ involves not just ceasing treatment but also taking steps to hasten death.

Accepted Answer

Passive euthanasia involves withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, such as turning off a ventilator, while active euthanasia involves taking a deliberate action to end a person's life, such as administering lethal medication.

Question 5

Legislation in the Netherlands,the only developed country that allows assisted suicide,requires that doctors must first satisfy several conditions: the patient must express a desire to terminate his or her life,the patient's suffering is severe and unlikely to improve,other forms of care have been attempted,and a second doctor must be consulted to insure that these conditions have been met.In an anonymous survey,what condition did doctors indicate that they frequently ignored?

Accepted Answer

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Dutch physicians frequently ignored the requirement to consult a second physician to ensure that the conditions for assisted suicide had been met. This was the most commonly ignored condition, with 23% of physicians surveyed admitting to not always following this requirement.

Question 6

What term means "good death" and involves the practice of ending the life of a person who is suffering from an incurable disease or severe disability?

Accepted Answer

Euthanasia is the term that means "good death" and involves intentionally ending the life of a person who is suffering from an incurable disease or severe disability. Mortality refers to the state of being subject to death, and bereavement refers to the period of grief and mourning after a loss. Fatality refers to a death resulting from an accident or disaster.

Question 7

Your grandmother did not want medical personnel to attempt to prolong her life if her heart stopped or she stopped breathing.What type of agreement did she have to communicate these wishes?

Accepted Answer

A Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) provision specifically communicates a person's wish not to have CPR or other life-saving measures performed if their heart stops or they stop breathing.

Question 8

What term is used to describe when medication is used to relieve the pain of dying patients,even to the point that it causes death?

Accepted Answer

Terminal sedation, also known as palliative sedation, is a practice where medication is given to relieve the pain and suffering of terminally ill patients, even if it may hasten their death. This is different from active euthanasia, where a deliberate act is taken to end a patient's life, and from passive euthanasia, where treatment is withdrawn or withheld, leading to a natural death. Medication errors are unrelated to end-of-life care.

Question 9

According to the text,what is the only state in the United States where active euthanasia has been legal for more than two decades?

Accepted Answer

The text states that active euthanasia has been legal in one state for over two decades, and that state is Oregon. Therefore, the correct answer is C - Oregon.

Question 10

The results of a survey (DiCamillo and Field,2006)on attitudes regarding "assisted suicide" indicated what percentage of individuals from the five developing countries examined in this study agreed with this approach?

Accepted Answer

The survey by DiCamillo and Field in 2006 found that less than 50% of individuals from the five developing countries examined agreed with the approach of assisted suicide.

Question 11

Your grandfather was very concerned that at the end of his life that he would be placed on a respirator and kept alive even when there was little hope that he would recover from whatever ailment from which he was suffering.As a result,he created a written document specifying which treatments he wanted to have in case he had a terminal illness,was in a coma,or had brain death.What is this type of document?

Accepted Answer

A living will is a legal document that specifies which medical treatments an individual wants or does not want if they are unable to communicate their wishes due to a terminal illness, coma, or brain death. It is also known as advance directive or medical directive.

Question 12

A person who is designated to make treatment decisions on behalf of a dying person in the event of incapacitation is a(n)_____.

Accepted Answer

A health care proxy is a legal document that designates an individual to make medical decisions on behalf of someone who is unable to make their own decisions. This can include end-of-life decisions. An advance directive is a related document that outlines a person's preferences for end-of-life care, but does not necessarily appoint a specific person to make decisions on their behalf. Patient-doctor liaisons and health-care lawyers do not have the legal authority to make medical decisions for a patient.

Question 13

The results of a survey (DiCamillo and Field,2006)on attitudes regarding actively taking steps to end the life of a person who is terminally ill indicated what percentage of individuals from the five developing countries involved in the study agreed with this approach?

Accepted Answer

The survey found that at least 70% of individuals from the five developing countries involved in the study agreed with actively taking steps to end the life of a person who is terminally ill. This means that the percentage could be higher than 70%, but it cannot be lower.

Question 14

What percentage of individuals believed that physicians should be allowed to dispense life-ending prescriptions at the request of terminally ill persons?

Accepted Answer

According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2018, approximately 75% of Americans believed that physicians should be allowed to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients.

Question 15

What involves a person's written and oral instructions concerning end-of-life care?

Accepted Answer

A person's written and oral instructions concerning end-of-life care are known as an advance directive. This can include things like what medical treatments they do or do not want at the end of their life, who is authorized to make medical decisions on their behalf if they are unable to, and instructions on comfort care. A health care proxy, on the other hand, designates a specific person to make medical decisions for someone else if they become unable to do so themselves. Active euthanasia is the intentional act of ending a person's life to relieve suffering, while involuntary euthanasia is the act of ending someone's life without their consent. Neither of these terms refer specifically to a person's written or oral instructions about end-of-life care.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes active euthanasia?

Accepted Answer

Active euthanasia involves taking steps to hasten death, rather than simply ceasing treatment that would prolong a person's life. It is typically carried out voluntarily with the person's consent, unlike situations where actions that may place a person's life in jeopardy are taken without their wishes.

Question 17

In virtually all countries,what type of end-of-life care is not legal?

Accepted Answer

Active euthanasia, or intentionally ending a patient's life through medical means, is illegal in virtually all countries. Passive euthanasia, which involves withdrawing or withholding treatment, is legal in some situations depending on the country's laws and cultural beliefs. Palliative care and hospice care are legal and important forms of end-of-life care that focus on managing pain and improving the quality of life for patients facing serious illness or nearing the end of life.

Question 18

What means "good death" and is the term for the practice of ending the life of a person who is suffering from an incurable disease or severe disability?

Accepted Answer

The term for the practice of ending the life of a person who is suffering from an incurable disease or severe disability is euthanasia. "Good death" is a literal translation of the Greek word euthanasia, which is where the term originates from. Hospice refers to a program of care for terminally ill patients, while palliation refers to the alleviation of pain or other symptoms. Thanatos is the Greek god of death and not directly related to this practice.

Question 19

Your 91-year-old great-aunt has terminal cancer.You and she have had many conversations regarding what she would want done if she were incapacitated and could not make choices about any additional medical interventions.Because she knew in advance what she wanted to have happen,she created _____.

Accepted Answer

An advance directive allows individuals to specify their medical treatment preferences in the event they become unable to make those decisions for themselves. This is the best option in this scenario as it specifically addresses the issue of medical interventions and the individual's wishes. A will, trust fund, and doctor-patient agreement are not relevant to this scenario.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes passive euthanasia?

Accepted Answer

Passive euthanasia involves ceasing medical interventions that would prolong a person's life, such as removing life support or not administering treatments that could sustain life. It does not involve actively hastening death.

Quiz 13: Death and Afterlife Beliefs