End-of-life Decision-making and Religious Beliefs

This paper analyzes the opinions on and attitudes towards the end of life among the population residing in Argentina. The data presented are taken from the Second National Survey of Religious Beliefs and Attitudes in Argentina, which was conducted on a multi-stage sample of 2421 cases in 89 districts throughout the country. Opinions about the end of life include positions in favor of euthanasia, requesting life extension through life support technologies, and leaving death to God’s will. Religious beliefs and affiliations prove to be determining variables in the positions taken by Argentine citizens regarding the end of life, death, and euthanasia. Furthermore, among those without any religious affiliation, some positions of autonomy over their bodies stand out: prolonging life and bringing life to an end, which means that their support for euthanasia can be assumed. The data presented here intend to contribute to planning health policies about the end-of-life process. The different views on this process or, in other words, the beliefs, values, and needs of patients and their families have a unique relevance that must be considered in the organization of care settings in end-of-life contexts.

Death and Complexity

There is no such thing as a science of death, although there is a science of life, as it happens. Death is not so much the subject matter of science but an experience, and death experiences we find abundantly in the literature. Now, experience is told not so much in a scientific tenure but as a narrative. Within the framework of bioethics, death comes closer, particularly what is usually known as end-of-life dilemmas, i.e., palliative care, a most sensitive arena, if there is any at all. This paper argues about the interplay or dialogue between death and complexity science. It claims that the knowledge of death is truly the knowledge of life and provides three arguments that lead to the central claim. The first argument is very much close to a kind of heuristic for knowing about death, while the second shows the challenge of knowing death. The third one consists of a reappraisal of death within an extensive cultural or civilizing framework. Lastly, some open-ended conclusions are drawn.

Consideraciones bioéticas para la investigación científica de plantas medicinales contra el cáncer en México

El presente artículo de reflexión revisa aspectos bioéticos en estudios científicos de plantas utilizadas en medicina tradicional para el tratamiento del cáncer en México. El conocimiento de las plantas medicinales documentadas en la medicina tradicional se relaciona con enfermedades como el cáncer. Esta enfermedad presenta altas tasas de mortalidad en el mundo, lo que incrementa la necesidad de nuevos fármacos para la quimioterapia. Aquí las plantas medicinales juegan un papel importante. Así, al ejecutar un estudio de plantas medicinales se deben considerar aspectos bioéticos fundamentales para la medicina tradicional como el muestreo, el estudio fitoquímico y biológico en líneas celulares de cáncer, basándose en la normatividad vigente, en estándares internacionales del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer y, principalmente, en los cuatro principios básicos de la bioética. Concluimos que es tarea de la comunidad científica avalar o desmentir el uso tradicional de las plantas medicinales para el tratamiento de enfermedades. El estudio de especies vegetales debe cumplir criterios donde la teoría, la investigación y la práctica ofrezcan soluciones a largo plazo y la protección ética de estas, del conocimiento tradicional y de los pacientes que recurren a esta alternativa.

Why Using Religious Arguments in the Euthanasia Discussion is Problematic

In discussions about assisted dying (euthanasia, assisted suicide), those who argue ‘against’ legalisation often reason from a religious angle, whereas those ‘in favour’ adopt a secular stance. The Dutch experience is more nuanced: here, euthanasia advocacy largely originated from protestant religious believers. In this contribution, I criticise the use of religious arguments favouring any specific position. Religion may provide a heuristic context to explore norms relevant in the discussion, and religion may help us formulate our personal stance. But when it comes to societal debates (often focusing on whether or not to legalise euthanasia), we should concentrate on legal, societal, empirical, and ethical arguments that are understandable to all.

A judicialização da saúde

A judicialização é fruto da complexidade da vida humana no meio político, econômico e social, com o envolvimento de diversos protagonistas, de distintas percepções e perspectivas, no espaço de disputa da microjustiça, ou seja, desde o início do conflito, o manejo, até o seu desfecho, mobilizando tanto o sistema de saúde quanto o sistema de justiça, na produção do cuidado com o cidadão. O objetivo deste estudo é investigar essa ideia de cuidado, do ponto de vista dos representantes do Judiciário, do Executivo e do próprio cidadão, assim como compreender a dinâmica entre a política da vida e a política sobre a vida, entre a biopotência e o biopoder, no contexto da judicialização de medicamentos no estado do Rio de Janeiro, no Brasil. A metodologia adotada para esta pesquisa contempla a abordagem qualitativa integrada com a análise da retórica dos relatos dos entrevistados. Ao final, com base nos argumentos processuais e nos relatos dos participantes da pesquisa, é possível identificar distintos parâmetros éticos que, presentes tanto nos argumentos processuais como no agir cotidiano dos participantes, orientam as tomadas de decisões e, por fim, refletir como tais parâmetros operam como potência de vida ou potência de morte para uma ética de cuidado.

Jahi McMath, a New Disorder of Consciousness

In this paper, I review the case of Jahi McMath, who was diagnosed with brain death (BD). Nonetheless, ancillary tests performed nine months after the initial brain insult showed conservation of intracranial structures, EEG activity, and autonomic reactivity to the “Mother Talks” stimulus. She was clinically in an unarousable and unresponsive state, without evidence of self-awareness or awareness of the environment. However, the total absence of brainstem reflexes and partial responsiveness rejected the possibility of a coma. Jahi did not have uws because she was not in a wakefulness state and showed partial responsiveness. She could not be classified as a LIS patient either because LIS patients are wakeful and aware, and although quadriplegic, they fully or partially preserve brainstem reflexes, vertical eye movements or blinking, and respire on their own. She was not in an MCS because she did not preserve arousal and preserved awareness only partially. The CRS-R resulted in a very low score, incompatible with MCS patients. mcs patients fully or partially preserve brainstem reflexes and usually breathe on their own. MCS has always been described as a transitional state between a coma and UWS but never reported in a patient with all clinical BD findings. This case does not contradict the concept of BD but brings again the need to use ancillary tests in BD up for discussion. I concluded that Jahi represented a new disorder of consciousness, non-previously described, which I have termed “reponsive unawakefulness syndrome” (RUS).

Las razones para redefinir la muerte y su crítica

A más de cincuenta años del Informe de Harvard, la redefinición propuesta para la muerte continúa siendo problemática y no goza de un consenso internacional. La posibilidad de trasplantar órganos vitales y el avance de los soportes artificiales para el mantenimiento de algunas funciones sustantivas impulsó la necesidad de redefinir la noción de muerte. Al proponer nuevas definiciones surge también un conjunto de interrogantes éticos y técnicos. En este texto exponemos algunas de las principales razones y críticas a la pretensión de definir la muerte encefálica como muerte. Para dicho propósito, realizamos un análisis de las críticas que, sobre este punto, hizo Hans Jonas, así como las refutaciones a su posición. Por otra parte, presentamos algunos de los criterios en que se fundamentan las pruebas diagnósticas y la escasez del consenso en este sentido. De esta manera pretendemos mostrar que los diferentes puntos de vista para definir la muerte, a pesar de no lograr acuerdos entre las diferentes comunidades, requieren un análisis y debate continuos con el fin de dar atención sustentada a los factores que motivaron la redefinición de la muerte.

The Universality of Palliative Care Philosophy

The modern hospice movement, which is the origin of what is now known as palliative care, derived strong inspiration from Christianity. Given this original Christian inspiration, the global spread of palliative care even to countries where Christianity is only a minority religion may look surprising. In line with the theory of the “secularization of hospice,” it could be argued that palliative care has spread globally because its underlying philosophy has become secular, allowing it to become universal. However, given the continuing importance of religion in many areas of palliative care, we could wonder how secular contemporary palliative care really is. This article argues that the universality of palliative care philosophy resides in its susceptibility to contextualization. Palliative care has become a global success story because people all over the world committed to palliative care’s principles and ideas have contextualized these and developed models of palliative care delivery and even philosophy that are adapted to the local socio-economic and cultural-religious contexts. This article analyzes palliative care in India to illustrate this point, describing contextualized models of palliative care delivery and showing that palliative care physicians and nurses in India draw inspiration from their local context and religiosity.

Considerações jurídicas, éticas e médico-legais sobre a reprodução post mortem em alguns países da Ibero-América

A aplicação das técnicas de reprodução humana assistida após a morte de um dos genitores é uma realidade que vai ganhando relevância e apoio entre juízes e doutrinários, mas que ainda encontra uma ampla rejeição social, principalmente em face dos sérios conflitos morais, éticos e religiosos. Vários países da região vêm discutindo a adaptação de suas leis diante do crescimento da casuística. Neste estudo, é realizada uma análise comparativa da esfera jurídica, ética e médico-legal dos países ibero-americanos, por meio de uma revisão integrativa. Foram recuperados 21 estudos primários que abordam a situação normativa da Argentina, do Brasil, da Colômbia, da Espanha, do Peru, de Portugal e do Uruguai. Do conjunto, unicamente o Uruguai e a Espanha têm normatização permissiva para a reprodução post mortem. O primeiro de forma expressa e o último de forma im- plícita. A legislação de Portugal é proibitiva para a maioria das técnicas, à exceção da transferência póstuma de embriões. A Argentina, a Colômbia e o Peru estão desregulamentados. O Brasil encontra-se numa situação especial, pois, embora inexista regulamentação específica, debate-se o caráter vinculante de algumas normativas. Ainda, é discutido o papel da medicina legal ante os novos desafios bioéticos e biojurídicos, em termos práticos e teóricos, propondo uma participação no debate que antecede toda possível autorização.