Ética y muerte digna: propuesta de consenso sobre un uso correcto de las palabras / Ethics and dignified death: consensus proposal on the correct use of words

Un debate serio sobre el “derecho a una muerte digna” sólo es posible si se hace un uso correcto de las palabras con que se lo construye. La palabra “eutanasia” es la que exige una mayor clarificación terminológica y conceptual, dado el abuso al que ha sido sometida. Hay cinco escenarios relevantes en relación con la tomade decisiones clínicas al final de la vida. Estos cinco escenarios son: eutanasia y suicidio asistido, limitación del esfuerzo terapéutico, rechazo de tratamiento, sedación paliativa y suspensión deatención médica por fallecimiento. Este artículo plantea que sólo el primero carece de acuerdo ético suficiente en la sociedad española y en el centro de la controversia sobre la “muerte digna”. En los otros cuatro escenarios, que no son en ningún caso eutanasia, sí existe ya un amplio grado de acuerdo ético y jurídico que ampara las actuaciones de los profesionales

The debate about the “right to die with dignity” will only be productive if the words used are constructed properly. “Euthanasia” is probably the word that most needs further clarification. This word isfrequently abused and still remains unclear. Five scenarios around end-of-life care can be highlighted: euthanasia and assisted suicide, withholding or withdrawal of life sustaining therapies, refusal oftreatment or withdrawal of consent, palliative sedation and withdrawal of treatment because of patient death. This work supports the hypothesis that Spanish society has reached a sufficient ethical and legal consensus on the lastfour scenarios, which should never beenconsidered “euthanasia” but forms of dignified death and good clinical practice. So, the mainstream of the Spanish debate on the “right to die” should not be based on these four scenarios but on the first, the question of “euthanasia and assisted suicide”, whichremain open to further discussion

[Not Available]. / Ética y muerte digna: propuesta de consenso sobre un uso correcto de las palabras.

The debate about the "right to die with dignity" will only be productive if the words used are constructed properly. "Euthanasia" is probably the word that most needs further clarification. This word is frequently abused and still remains unclear. Five scenarios around end-of-life care can be highlighted: euthanasia and assisted suicide, withholding or withdrawal of life sustaining therapies, refusal of treatment or withdrawal of consent, palliative sedation and withdrawal of treatment because of patient death. This work supports the hypothesis that Spanish society has reached a sufficient ethical and legal consensus on the lastfour scenarios, which should never been considered "euthanasia" but forms of dignified death and good clinical practice. So, the mainstream of the Spanish debate on the "right to die" should not be based on these four scenarios but on the first, the question of "euthanasia and assisted suicide", which remain open to further discussion.