I will be discussing the ethical considerations versus the general
outcomes with life support technology. The objective of life support
is to buy time for patients so that they can be treated for the
underlying cause or are able to recover on their own (Menard, 2021).
There are different types of life support that an individual can
receive. This includes: mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, artificial nutrition and hydration and dialysis (Menard,
2021). Even though life support is there to help a person survive,
there are pros and cons that need to be considered when thinking of
the ethical issues that arise with this topic.
The first pro for life support is that is sustains life for a longer period
of time, which allows for solutions to be identified to help the patient
(Menard, 2021). On the other hand, sometimes there are situations
where it is clear that there are no chances of recovery and life
support just delays the dying process (Menard, 2021). This is where
the ethical issues arise. Some people side with the fact that it is
morally wrong to let someone die, therefore life support is necessary.
Others will argue against that and say it is morally wrong to keep
someone alive without their consent because it could lead to
prolonged suffering (Menard, 2021).
There are many factors that need to be considered when someone is
about to go on life support. One factor is seeing if the patient is
competent enough to make the decision to proceed with this care.
Patient’s typically have an advanced directive that designates a
proxy that states what they want medically, but sometimes a patient
may not have that information (AMA, 2013). This would lead to the
family having to make the decision which is sometimes very difficult
to do. Some families may see it as too difficult of a task or too
expensive. If a patient does not have any family or friends, then the
decision will have to come from the healthcare professionals.
When it comes down to it, there is really no right or wrong answer
when it comes to life support technology. There are ethical issues
that reside within this topic, but it really comes down to what the
patient wants. If the patient does not have anything written down, it
will come down to what is the best way to treat this patient.
Physicians are not going to just let a patient die in their hospital, so it
will be up to them to determine what the best plan of action is for
the patient.
References
AMA. (2013, December 1). AMA code of Medical Ethics' opinions on
care at the end of life. Journal of Ethics | American Medical
Association. Retrieved April 21, 2022,
from https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/ama-code-medical-
ethics-opinions-care-end-life/2013-12
Menard, A. Life Support: Information and Ethics. (2021, December 27).
Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.acls.net/information-
and-ethics
