Abstract

Modern technology offers the ability to prolong life by supporting physiologic processes in dying patients who would have succumbed more peacefully to their illnesses in the past. We prolong life, but witness the pain and suffering that our interventions cause. Regardless of one's religious beliefs, the process of making end-of-life decisions is inherently difficult and emotionally trying. The caregiver, family member or friend is faced with making heart-wrenching decisions for loved ones where the line between support and cruelty may feel blurred.This is the nature of ethical dilemmas that arise when core ethical principles collide, necessitating the establishment of the primacy of one over the other. It is...