Kontrowersje wokół medycznej definicji śmierci
Controversies over the medical definition of death

Summary/Abstract: As the definition of death arouses considerable controversies, the author demonstrates a few terms of this notion. According to the classical definition, the moment of death is the result of the complete circulatory arrest. However, in the so-called New Definition, the death is the consequence of the circulatory arrest until the brain death. The new modified definition em- phasizes the death of brain trunk until brain death as a whole. Organs and tissues will not be taken for transplantation until the brain death is con- firmed and verified. If strict death criteria are not established everybody should be guaranteed the right palliative care.According to the Christian ethics it is acceptable to stop so-called persis- tent therapy in the case of the unjustified life-prolonging. The obligation to treat a patient does not include the agonal phase. The agony can not be cate- gorized as a disease. The man has the right to a decent death, and prolong- ing agony in an artificial way can extend the suffering.

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