Conscientious Objection to Aggressive Interventions for Patients in a Vegetative State.

Some physicians refuse to perform life-sustaining interventions, such as tracheostomy, on patients who are very likely to remain permanently unconscious. To explain their refusal, these clinicians often invoke the language of "futility", but this can be inaccurate and can mask problematic forms of c...

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Publicado en:American Journal of Bioethics Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 10 - 22
Autores principales: Wasserman, Jason Adam, Brummett, Abram L., Navin, Mark Christopher, Menkes, Daniel Londyn
Formato: case study Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Mar2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2025
      vid: 25
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        10.1080/15265161.2023.2280099
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        atl: Conscientious Objection to Aggressive Interventions for Patients in a Vegetative State.
      aug:
        au:
          Wasserman, Jason Adam
          Brummett, Abram L.
          Navin, Mark Christopher
          Menkes, Daniel Londyn
        affil: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
      sug:
        subj:
          Persistent Vegetative State Therapy
          Refusal to Treat Ethical Issues
          Conscience
          Physician Attitudes
          Respiratory Failure
          Heart Arrest
          Medical Futility Ethical Issues
          Tracheostomy Ethical Issues
          Ethics, Medical
          Invasive Procedures
          Unconsciousness
          Male
          Middle Age
          Physicians Ethical Issues
          Life Support Care Ethical Issues
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Male
      ab: Some physicians refuse to perform life-sustaining interventions, such as tracheostomy, on patients who are very likely to remain permanently unconscious. To explain their refusal, these clinicians often invoke the language of "futility", but this can be inaccurate and can mask problematic forms of clinical power. This paper explores whether such refusals should instead be framed as conscientious objections. We contend that the refusal to provide interventions for patients very likely to remain permanently unconscious meets widely recognized ethical standards for the exercise of conscience. We conclude that conscientious objection to tracheostomy and other life-sustaining interventions on such patients can be ethical because it does not necessarily constitute a form of invidious discrimination. Furthermore, when a physician frames their refusal as conscientious objection, it makes transparent the value-laden nature of their objection and can better facilitate patient access to the requested treatment.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        case study
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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