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(UK) Doctors engaged in ‘slow euthanasia’ for patients with terminal illnesses
The Times ^ | 10/28/2009 | David Rose

Posted on 10/28/2009 7:49:59 AM PDT by markomalley

Patients with terminal illness are being heavily sedated by doctors before their deaths in a form of “slow euthanasia”, research suggests.

A poll of nearly 3,000 doctors found that almost one in five had administered infusions of drugs to keep patients unconscious for hours or days at a time.

In appropriate doses, sedatives and strong painkillers are considered a valuable way of easing the pain and anxiety of patients who are dying with conditions such as cancer.

But 18.7 per cent of British doctors polled said they used drugs to invoke “continuous deep sedation” in a dying patient, a practice which in other countries is seen as an alternative to legalised euthanasia.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: euthanasia; moralabsolutes; nhs; obamacare
Coming to a country near you...
1 posted on 10/28/2009 7:50:00 AM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

It’s done here daily. Common practice.


2 posted on 10/28/2009 7:54:13 AM PDT by devane617
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To: devane617

The Hippocratic oath states FIRST DO NO HARM. It might be a good idea for doctors everywhere to read it again and again until they have it memorized ver batim.


3 posted on 10/28/2009 7:59:58 AM PDT by Ev Reeman
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To: devane617

“It’s done here daily. Common practice.”

Yes it is. And when you get to a point where the cancer has taken away most of the brain function, or the stroke has done its devastating work, or...

I can’t imagine that any doctor doesn’t do everything in their power to keep people as comfortable as possible in their last days.

I mean, if they didn’t give all of that morphine (the usual here) would the person live any longer? Have some sort of meaningful conversations? Finish some sort of achievements?

No, let them die in peace.


4 posted on 10/28/2009 8:16:13 AM PDT by TWohlford
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To: markomalley

I’ll bet Obama and His Cretins have the formula down pat.


5 posted on 10/28/2009 8:19:33 AM PDT by chatham
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To: Ev Reeman

After the passage of Roe v. Wade, a lot of medical schools modified or dropped the Hippocratic Oath. Because the traditional oath explicitly forbids physicians from contributing to an abortion, and they couldn’t have that.

For the most part, those who have supported euthanasia and assisted suicide are also abortion supporters.

So, yes, the traditional oath says “first do no harm.” But that oath is no longer administered to many doctors when they graduate from medical school.


6 posted on 10/28/2009 8:24:32 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: TWohlford

Exactly, well said. What is the alternative? Watch a dying cancer patient in pain, writhing and screaming for relief? Or perhaps, as in my FIL’s case, a 93 year old man, slowly dying of MRSA pneumonia, basically drowning in his own fluids. Without heavy sedation, he was in a state of constant panic, struglling trying to breath, pulling out his IV’s. With the sedation, he didn’t feel as panicky and was more accepting of the respiratory therapists help in suctioning off the fluid in his lungs.


7 posted on 10/28/2009 8:27:31 AM PDT by dawn53
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To: markomalley
How "natural" (base) such situations are to devolve into:

+ How much $$ do we get to do this?
+ How much do I need this job?
- How many good services and resources does this "thing" require?
- How much of a burden is this carcass?
+ How many others "less demanding" ones could we get in here?
+ How much more $$ could we get if we slow things down and/or complain (without losing our job)?

See how easy it will be to look for ways to be rid of burdensome carcasses and "useless eaters"? So long as they don't think they'll lose their jobs over it, it's going to happen often, folks!

HF

8 posted on 10/28/2009 8:29:30 AM PDT by holden
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To: TWohlford

Neighbor’s mom had severe end stage Alzheimer’s and they started to give her morphine to “help her sleep”. While in one sense that’s a frightening thought, on the other hand, the woman couldn’t eat and was losing weight at a frightening rate. It was only a matter of time, and IMHO, the morphine helped ease her last few difficult days. I’m sure it eased her daughter’s mind to know that she wasn’t in pain from starvation as well.


9 posted on 10/28/2009 8:44:19 AM PDT by Hardastarboard (Maureen Dowd is right. I DON'T like our President's color. He's a Red.)
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To: markomalley

Its done here all the time..my mother died of Pancreatic cancer last year..her last few weeks she was on morphine..thank god for it too. Pancreatic cancer is a horrible, wasting death.


10 posted on 10/28/2009 8:49:43 AM PDT by FeliciaCat (I like my money where I can see it...hanging in my closet.)
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To: markomalley

If and when the time comes for me to be euthanized, I want it fast, not slow.


11 posted on 10/28/2009 8:55:24 AM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: dawn53
a 93 year old man, slowly dying of MRSA pneumonia, basically drowning in his own fluids. Without heavy sedation, he was in a state of constant panic, struglling trying to breath, pulling out his IV’s. With the sedation, he didn’t feel as panicky and was more accepting of the respiratory therapists help in suctioning off the fluid in his lungs.

My Dad is in the ICU going through this right now. He's on a BiPAP machine to assist with his breathing. Two nights ago he attempted to get out of the bed and pulled the lines out of his right arm and he's constantly trying to pull out his catheter. They have him in soft restraints so that he doesn't hurt himself and they are administering small doses of morphine to keep his respiratory rate and heart rate at a more normal level. When his narcotic levels drop he gets very agitated and panicky.

My brother and I take turns going to be with Dad and we also stay out of his room so that he's not trying to talk to us, even though most of the time he's not making any sense. He needs rest if there is any chance that he's going to make it. Please pray for my Dad, Tony.

12 posted on 10/28/2009 9:41:30 AM PDT by 2nd amendment mama ( www.2asisters.org | Self defense is a basic human right!)
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To: 2nd amendment mama

Hi Tony,

Yes that sounds very similar to what we experienced. The sedation definitely helped my FIL deal with the situation and not be panicked by the procedures and feelings he must have been experiencing.

I will pray for his recovery.


13 posted on 10/28/2009 9:46:42 AM PDT by dawn53
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To: markomalley

The Brits are passive sheeple peasants who come from a long history of being abused by their rulers. They are totally mentally and physically disarmed.

Americans would make this policy into a mutual blood bath. No one would get out alive. Let’s hope the Dear Leader of mass murder does not get his way with the Babyboomer generation because few will live to tell about it.


14 posted on 10/28/2009 2:05:46 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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