Active and Passive Euthanasia: Current Opinion of Mexican Medical Students.

Alejandro Gutierrez Castillo,Javier Gutierrez Castillo

doi:10.7759/cureus.3047

Abstract

Background: The idea to accelerate the process of death in a terminally ill patient is an issue that has polarized societies since ancient times. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the opinion of medical students from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, about passive euthanasia, active euthanasia, and their personal posture on the topic.Material and Methods: Using a three-part questionnaire, 1,319 medical students of the first three years of medical school, from three of the four medical schools in the state, were interviewed. The questionnaire included questions on demographics, religion, and the personal posture of the student on active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, and their personal posture on the topic.Results: Of those interviewed, 44.4% were in favor of active euthanasia, 52.1% of passive euthanasia, and 44.8% had a positive personal posture on the topic. Age and grade were not significant variables for the posture of the students, but the variable gender showed a predominantly positive posture in the male subgroup for active (p=0.001) and passive euthanasia (p=0.031). Religion and the importance of religion/spirituality in daily life were the most significant factors (p<0.005) for the interviewees to hold a negative posture in each of the three scenarios. The legal nature of the scenario (p=0.000) and respect for patient's autonomy (p=0.000) were the most important arguments that could change an original negative posture into a positive one.

Highlights

The word euthanasia comes from the Greek, Eu and Thanatos, which means “good death” [1]
Of those interviewed, 44.4% were in favor of active euthanasia, 52.1% of passive euthanasia, and 44.8% had a positive personal posture on the topic
The acceptance of active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, and a favorable personal opinion was 44.4%, 52.1%, and 44.8%, respectively. These results are lower than those seen in previous research made with the same tool in a similar population, where 50% agreed to active euthanasia and 58% to passive euthanasia [6], but they are higher than a previous research applied to physicians, where 40% agreed to active euthanasia and 48% agreed to passive euthanasia [7]

Summary

Introduction

The word euthanasia comes from the Greek, Eu (good) and Thanatos (death), which means “good death” [1]. The idea of accelerating the process of death in a terminally ill patient is an issue that has been discussed since ancient times. In Laws, suggested that doctors should be punished by death if by administering any sort of drug, they contribute to the termination of life [2]. While Seneca mentioned that suicide is preferable to a meaningless life and suffering [3]. It’s not until the middle ages when this debate headed towards censorship from the perspective of Christian religious beliefs since a person “cannot freely take off his life that was given by a superior entity” [3]. The idea to accelerate the process of death in a terminally ill patient is an issue that has polarized societies since ancient times. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the opinion of medical students from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, about passive euthanasia, active euthanasia, and their personal posture on the topic

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion