Question 1

All people why are committed to a "sanctity of life" perspective agree that "ordinary" life support (such as forced feeding of food and water) should never be withdrawn from dying patients.

Accepted Answer

Not all individuals who hold a "sanctity of life" perspective agree on the specifics of life support, as beliefs can vary widely based on personal, religious, or ethical considerations.

Question 2

Situation ethics suggests that it is ethical to treat humans in different ways.

Accepted Answer

Situation ethics, also known as situational ethics or proportionalism, holds that ethical decisions must be made based on the particular context and circumstances of each individual case, rather than following fixed moral rules or principles. This may lead to different treatment of individuals based on the specific situation they are in.

Question 3

There is a company in the United States that currently sends letters to people who have declared bankruptcy and offers them $45,000, plus expenses, to donate a kidney.

Accepted Answer

This scenario is not true. It is illegal to buy or sell organs in the United States.

Question 4

The right of patients to refuse or discontinue treatment is now an acknowledged aspect of American Medicine.True

Accepted Answer

The right of patients to refuse or discontinue treatment is now recognized as a fundamental aspect of American Medicine, and is protected by law in many states. Patients have the right to make decisions about their own medical care, including the right to refuse or discontinue treatment, and this concept is generally upheld and respected throughout the medical community.

Question 5

Bioethicists have a medical and legal authority to implement medical decision made by hospital review boards.

Accepted Answer

Bioethicists do not have legal authority to implement medical decisions; they can provide guidance and recommendations but ultimately the hospital review board and medical professionals make the final decisions.

Question 6

People favoring a "sanctity of life" philosophy, would oppose active euthanasia.True

Accepted Answer

People who follow the "sanctity of life" philosophy believe that life is valuable and should be preserved at all costs, and thus would oppose active euthanasia, which involves ending a person's life intentionally.

Question 7

Extraordinary and ordinary treatment for dying patients are highly relativistic concepts.

Accepted Answer

Whether a treatment is considered extraordinary or ordinary depends on various factors including the patient's medical condition, cultural and religious beliefs, and societal norms. Therefore, it is highly relative and subjective.

Question 8

People favoring the "quality of life" position base their perspective upon modern medicine's successes, not failures.

Accepted Answer

People who favor the "quality of life" position believe that modern medicine has had many successes, such as increased life expectancy and improved treatments for many diseases, and they prioritize maintaining a high quality of life over prolonging life at any cost.

Question 9

The Japanese head the list of developed countries of the world in performing heart transplants.

Accepted Answer

According to the International Registry of Heart and Lung Transplantation, as of 2019, the United States heads the list of countries for performing the highest number of heart transplants in the world, followed by Germany and France. Japan is not in the top five countries for performing heart transplants.

Question 10

Presently, the number one reason for non-donation of an organ is denial of consent by the donor's family.

Accepted Answer

This is a well-established fact in the field of organ donation. Despite a person's expressed wishes to donate their organs, if their family denies consent, the donation cannot proceed. In some countries, such as Spain, the law presumes that a person has consented to organ donation unless they have explicitly opted out. This has led to high rates of organ donation in Spain compared to other countries.

Question 11

According to the "sanctity of life" philosophy, those favoring a "quality of life" philosophy, tend to have a built in bias against the disabled and mentally impaired.True

Accepted Answer

The "sanctity of life" philosophy holds that all life is inherently valuable and should be protected, regardless of its quality. Those who favor a "quality of life" philosophy prioritize factors such as happiness, autonomy, and productivity, and may view disabled or mentally impaired individuals as having a lower quality of life. Therefore, they may be biased against such individuals.

Question 12

Passive euthanasia may hasten the death of a dying patient.

Accepted Answer

Passive euthanasia involves the withdrawal or withholding of medical treatment that is keeping a dying patient alive, therefore it may hasten the patient's death.

Question 13

According to DeVries and Subedi, bioethicists represent the patient, protecting her or his autonomy against the power of medicine.False

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to DeVries and Subedi, bioethicists represent...

Question 14

The "quality of life" perspective would contend that all "natural" life has intrinsic meaning and should be appreciated as a divine gift.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The "quality of life" perspective would contend...

Question 15

Presently 75 percent of women choosing abortion agree to donate fetal tissues which are later exchanged for "site fee" rent for laboratory space where technicians perform their dissections.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. The fetal tissues are exchanged for site fees, which covers the costs of laboratory space and equipment for the researchers performing the dissections.

Question 16

The United States' euthanasia society supports the right of any individual to take his or her own life through suicide regardless of motivation.

Accepted Answer

The statement incorrectly defines the position of the United States' euthanasia society. The group supports the right of terminally ill patients to end their lives through physician-assisted suicide, but not suicide for any individual regardless of motivation.

Question 17

The "Living Will" is an instrument which reflects an active euthanasia perspective.False

Accepted Answer

The "Living Will" is not an instrument which reflects an active euthanasia perspective, but rather it allows a person to specify their wishes regarding medical treatment if they become incapacitated or unable to communicate their decisions. This may include refusing certain treatments or procedures, but it is not the same as actively seeking euthanasia.

Question 18

In the United States "mercy killing" is considered murder.

Accepted Answer

Mercy killing, also known as euthanasia, is not legally permissible in most states of the United States and is considered murder under the law.

Question 19

Xenotransplantation refers to the use of animal organs for transplantation puroposes.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true. Xenotransplantation involves using animal organs, tissues, or cells for transplantation into humans.

Question 20

The Department of Transportation has traditionally used human cadavers to measure the effectiveness of various crash protective devices in automobile collisions.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The Department of Transportation has used human cadavers as well as crash test dummies to evaluate the safety of automobiles in collisions. However, in recent years there has been a shift towards using computer simulations and other advanced testing methods to reduce the reliance on cadavers and improve ethical standards in testing.

Quiz 8: Biomedical Issues and Euthanasia