Euthanasia The word euthanasia stems from the Greek words "eu thanatos" meaning "good death" and refers to the action of a third party, usually a doctor, deliberately ending the life of an individual.



Active and Passive Euthanasia the difference between "active" and "passive" is that in active euthanasia, something is done to end the patients's life (or, what amounts to the same thing, to kill the patient): in passive euthanasia, something is not done that would have preserved the patients's life (thus the patient is killed indirectly).



Voluntary and Involuntary Euthanasia "Voluntary euthanasia" is when the patient requests that an action be taken to end his life, or that life-saving treatment be stopped, with full knowledge that this will lead to his death. "Involuntary euthanasia" is when a patient's life is ended without the patient's knowledge and consent.



Assisted Suicide This is when someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose.



Ordinary and Extraordinary Medical Care An important distinction to be aware of is that between ordinary and extraordinary medical care. Ordinary medical care includes basic nutrition and hydration given to a comatose patient. Extraordinary medical care can be described as an excessive attempt to prolong human lif via artifical means, an attempt without which the person would progress naturally to death. It can also be described as care that does not offer reasonable hope of benefit and may be excessively burdensome to the patient.



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