Ethical Issues in Pain Management

SUMMARY

The modern hospice movement has played a significant role in the development of palliative care. Effective palliation is of crucial importance in achieving quality of life and a dignified death for the terminally ill. While the inherent risk in palliative care, respiratory depression, remains an open medical question, an understanding of the ethical and moral principle of double effect demonstrates the prudential nature of palliative care and how it is an application of the ethical and moral norm, respect for patient autonomy. [Article copies available from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: [email protected]]

Notes

Similarly, David Outerbridge and Alan Hersh state that, “Medical studies have shown … that the increasing tolerance to the medication is normally accompanied by a similar tolerance to adverse side effects” (1991, 119). See also Zimmerman, J. 1986; T. Ryndes 1985, 51; M. Conolly 1989, 501; C. Saunders 1991-2, 20-21; W. Wilson et al. 1992, 949-953; L. H. Heyse-Moore, 1989. M. Ashby and B. Stoffell 1991, 1323; and S. A. Schug et al. 1992, 48.

The literature on this principle is considerable. See, for example, T. J. Boyle 1991, 467-585; J. F. Keenan 1993, 294-315; T. Beauchamp and J. Childress 1989, 127-134; R. Gula 1989, 270-279; B. Ashley and K. O’Rourke 1989, 184-190; and J. Mangan 1949, 41-61.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael J. McCabe

Michael J. McCabe, PhD, is a former Fellow-in-Ethics, Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. He is currently based in Wellington, New Zealand.