A doctor who fails to resuscitate a terminally ill patient who stops breathing, thereby following the wishes expressed in the patient's living will is carrying out _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Passive euthanasia is the act of allowing a patient to die by withholding or withdrawing medical treatment, and in this case, the medical treatment would be resuscitation. The doctor is following the patient's wishes as expressed in their living will, which is a legal document that outlines a person's preferences for medical treatment in the event that they cannot communicate their wishes themselves. Therefore, the doctor is not actively causing the patient's death, but rather allowing them to die naturally.

A Doctor Who Fails to Resuscitate a Terminally Ill Patient