Serrão D
Med Law. 1999;18(1):1-11.
Demographic evolution and scientific progress in the treatment of fatal diseases have brought about a large number of disabled old persons and of greatly dependent persons. Nowadays, the dying process of people in such conditions is slower, though irreversible, and it has created a new form of medical care known as palliative medicine. Seven situations of this kind are discussed, with the corresponding ethical appraisal of the possible medical decisions in each case. The opinion on this matter by the Portuguese National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences, based on the initial report, is then reproduced. It is against euthanasia strictu sensu being legalised and no longer a criminal offence, recommending however the development of all forms of palliative medicine.
致命疾病治疗方面的人口结构演变和科学进步导致了大量残疾老人和高度依赖他人的人。如今，处于这种状况的人的死亡过程虽然不可逆转，但却较为缓慢，这催生了一种新的医疗护理形式，即姑息医学。本文讨论了七种此类情况，并对每种情况下可能的医疗决策进行了相应的伦理评估。随后转载了葡萄牙生命科学国家伦理委员会基于初步报告对此事的意见。该委员会反对严格意义上的安乐死合法化，使其不再构成刑事犯罪，但建议发展各种形式的姑息医学。
