medical futility

sergio garcia ramirez: in Memoriam. Necessary human being.

In medicine, and in life, futility is a interesting topic And necessary. Futility comes from the Greek futilis, meaning torn, permeable, leaky. The Greek physicians, rich in philosophy and sheltered from the idea of ​​futility, he considered That each patient must be approached differently. Unani doctors discovered symptoms and signs, which made it possible to differentiate Disease From incurable to curable. Treatable people were attributed to chance (tuche) and it was thought that the intervention of doctors could bring about change in them. Duration, were related to incurable “Absolute Evils”, with fate or destiny (ananke); Unlike the previous ones, their development could not be modified despite their participation. optional, Part of the Greek wisdom lies in supporting the prudent doctor and allowing him not to treat incurable diseases. Today, in the face of the unstoppable progress of medical biotechnology, maintaining life when it makes no sense to do so, futility Receives great importance. The ancient Greek doctors were wise and prudent: they knew whether they were weak or not. medical supplies To distinguish between what is possible to cure – to cure – and what is inadequate, to treat against all hope.

The next question is fundamental whether withdrawing is the same medical treatments What not to get them started? that problem is many answer and countless questions, The difficulty of answering “yes” or “no” is one of the great attractions of medical ethics. He Complexity This makes sense if we assume the obvious: when faced with illness, humans react differently according to their background, the moment of their life, and the time of their life. Future expectations.

But general differences Between one person and another, I associate behaviors that vary even between doctors. Abortion and euthanasia are frequent examples of this. Some people reject it regardless of the reasons for those involved; Other they cooperate When reasons justify it. The challenge is in making each case individual. It helps to review the meanings of meaninglessness understand the issues The following question, such as the complex, ethical one presented in the previous paragraph, is whether withdrawing medical treatments is the same as not starting them?

In contemporary medicine, medical technology provides Indispensable Study “Philosophy of Futility”, Discerning when treatment is appropriate and when it does not benefit the patient, knowing when treatment will improve the patient’s condition and when it will be useless, is the essence of futility. Avoids prolonging unnecessary pain and suffering surrounded by futility by thinking about the limitations of medicine and life unfair decision Or apt: There is great wisdom in not doing.

futile medical treatment, i.e., impossibility To achieve therapeutic goals, multiple approaches can be taken. I highlight three types of futile treatments: 1) Inability to prolong a “dignified life”. 2) Impossibility of restoring the patient’s autonomy. b Prolonging life at the cost of unnecessary suffering: physical, moral and even economic.

Medicine is not an exact science. doctors They often do not agree with each other or with their patients regarding treatment goals. Whether to start treatment and when to start remove them This is a complex decision. It is easier to decide when the patient and family know what they need and when the doctor is present Sick,

What it takes to know how to answer “yes” or “no” in therapy patient’s wishes, what else can be achieved. meaninglessness helps clarify them questions, It is important to listen. It is wise not to. It is absurd to do so when prolonging the suffering is futile. Futility always helps the doctor to take decisions in favor of the patient.