Abandoning Persistent Therapy: The Problem of Refusal to Use the Tracheostomy Ventilation by Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (The Perspective of the Encyclical Evangelium Vitae)
Marcin FERDYNUS
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , PolandAbstract
The article aims at answering the question whether a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can refuse the tracheostomy ventilation. The reference point for the conducted analyzes is, on the one hand, the definition of persistent therapy provided by John Paul II in his Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, and, on the other, the interpretation of this definition proposed by the author of the article. The analyses conducted in the text have shown that a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can refuse tracheostomy ventilation and that his decision will be morally acceptable. The doctor should respect the patient’s decision and should he (she) disregard it, he(she) will harm the patient.
Keywords:
persistent therapy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Evangelium VitaeFERDYNUS, M. (2018). Rezygnacja z uporczywej terapii. Problem odmowy podłączenia do respiratora w przypadku pacjentów chorych na stwardnienie zanikowe boczne (ALS). Perspektywa Evangelium vitae. Ethos. Kwartalnik Instytutu Jana Pawła II KUL, 31(2), 409–422. https://doi.org/10.12887/31-2018-2-122-23
Marcin FERDYNUS
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
