| Living and dying with medical technology. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 12771580 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Medical technology is a two-edged sword, capable of saving and improving life but also of ending and harming life. Finding the right stance toward technology requires great balance and sensitivity. It has seductive powers because of its expected benefits, the social and professional pressures to use it, and a frequent confusion that results from confusing the sanctity and value of human life with a supposed imperative always to use technology. The aim of good critical care medicine should be to establish a meaningful tension, particularly in the care of those patients threatened with death, between the aim of preserving life, on the one hand, and making possible a peaceful death, on the other. Any automatic bias in favor of using technology will threaten that latter possibility. |
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Authors:
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Daniel Callahan |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Critical care medicine Volume: 31 ISSN: 0090-3493 ISO Abbreviation: Crit. Care Med. Publication Date: 2003 May |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2003-05-28 Completed Date: 2003-06-19 Revised Date: 2004-11-17 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0355501 Medline TA: Crit Care Med Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: S344-6 Citation Subset: AIM; IM |
Affiliation:
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The Hastings Center, Garrison, NY 10524-5555, USA. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Critical Care* Decision Making Ethics, Clinical Humans Medical Futility* Technology Assessment, Biomedical* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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