The Least Worst Death

Abstract

The realities of "natural" death and the alternative of a least worst\ndeath are explored in this article about the dilemmas faced by terminally ill\npatients and their doctors. Treatment refusal, the only legally sanctioned\nmeans of avoiding medically-prolonged death, may lead to distressing physical\nconditions that destroy patients' hopes for a dignified death. By functioning\nas strategists of natural death, however, physicians could help patients\nselectively refuse treatments in a way that would produce a more comfortable,\npredictable, and peaceful death. (KIE abstract)