RT Article
T1 RESPECT FOR AUTONOMY, ADVANCE DIRECTIVES, AND MINIMALLY CONSCIOUS STATE
JF Bioethics
VO 25
IS 9
SP 505
OP 515
A1 Varelius, Jukka
LA English
YR 2011
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1781883467
AB In this article, I consider whether the advance directive of a person in minimally conscious state ought to be adhered to when its prescriptions conflict with her current wishes. I argue that an advance directive can have moral significance after its issuer has succumbed to minimally conscious state. I also defend the view that the patient can still have a significant degree of autonomy. Consequently, I conclude that her advance directive ought not to be applied. Then I briefly assess whether considerations pertaining to respecting the patient's autonomy could still require obedience to the desire expressed in her advance directive and arrive at a negative answer.
K1 disorder of consciousness
K1 minimally conscious state
K1 Patient
K1 Advance Directive
K1 Autonomy
DO 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2009.01799.x