The Student Room Group

Passive euthanasia vs withdrawing life support

Hi! Can someone please clarify the difference between passive euthanasia and withdrawing life support? I don't understand because passive euthanasia is illegal but withdrawing life support is allowed, however isn't withdrawing life support a form of passive euthanasia?
Thanks in advance!!
Original post by iramh_
Hi! Can someone please clarify the difference between passive euthanasia and withdrawing life support? I don't understand because passive euthanasia is illegal but withdrawing life support is allowed, however isn't withdrawing life support a form of passive euthanasia?
Thanks in advance!!


I thought that was an example of passive?

Read this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/overview/forms.shtml
Reply 2
Original post by 999tigger
I thought that was an example of passive?

Read this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/overview/forms.shtml


I don't think it classifies. Doctors remove life support all the time and it doesn't count as euthanasia. I think from what I've been reading, it's about intent. If a doctor removes life support with the intent of killing the patient, it is passive euthanasia. If the patient (or family) decides that they no longer consent to the treatment of life support, doctors can remove it. In this way, they are abiding my the patients wishes and their right to autonomy. And in this case, death is a likely side effect.

I think that's the difference but I'm not 100% sure.
Original post by iramh_
Hi! Can someone please clarify the difference between passive euthanasia and withdrawing life support? I don't understand because passive euthanasia is illegal but withdrawing life support is allowed, however isn't withdrawing life support a form of passive euthanasia?
Thanks in advance!!


Don't use the phrase 'passive euthanasia' in interviews/PS because euthanasia is doing something with the intent to end their life and it illegal in the UK.

Withdrawing life support is actually good clinical practise. There's a video on youtube by someone called Ali abdaal, he explains this well
Reply 4
Original post by bonnie_x
Don't use the phrase 'passive euthanasia' in interviews/PS because euthanasia is doing something with the intent to end their life and it illegal in the UK.

Withdrawing life support is actually good clinical practise. There's a video on youtube by someone called Ali abdaal, he explains this well


Hi, thank you! I've seen it but I don't think it's a good example. I was wondering because say I do get asked about passive euthanasia, I don't want to be unsure what it is. Thank you though!
They are essentially the same thing. Many sources will talk about them interchangably.

For some unknown reason, some sources with specific reference to British law choose not to apply the term 'euthanasia' to withdrawing someone's life-sustaining care (or not providing new care needed to prevent death) when its in someone's 'Best Interests'. Of course in reality, if you did that and it wasn't in bed interests then it's criminal negligence at best, murder at worst, so the term passive euthanasia becomes completely redundant if you ask me.

But for everyone else in the world, they are the same thing.

Original post by iramh_
If a doctor removes life support with the intent of killing the patient, it is passive euthanasia. If the patient (or family) decides that they no longer consent to the treatment of life support, doctors can remove it.


Family cannot consent on behalf of someone else, nor can they demand the commencement or cessation of any treatment. It is the doctor's decision only.

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