Orthothanasia is the name given to the process by which one chooses not to subject a terminal patient to invasive procedures that postpone his death, but, at the same time, compromise his quality of life. Thus, orthothanasia focuses on the adoption of palliative procedures, seeking to control pain and other.
To know what orthothanasia is, it is interesting to understand the meaning of two other words: dysthanasia and euthanasia. This corresponds to the active practice of interrupting the life of a patient with a disease in an irreversible stage and without the possibility of improvement; in order to cease your pain. The former refers to the postponement of the death of this individual, usually due to the use of drugs and equipment, which often provide unnecessary suffering.
Orthothanasia would then be, simply put, the middle ground between these two procedures. It is the idea of promoting death at the right time (ortho: right, thanatos: death) – nor before, as in the case of euthanasia; not later, as in dysthanasia. Thus, it chooses to restrict, or discard, aggressive and inefficient treatments, which will not reverse the situation in question.
Orthothanasia is responsible for promoting palliative care to the patient, until the moment of his death. These are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), as the control of pain and other symptoms, and the care of psychological, social and spiritual problems; reaching the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. Thus, care aimed at the person’s well-being becomes the priority, and not the fight against something that, inevitably, cannot be fought – in this case, the disease and the end of life.
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In this perspective, death comes to be seen as a natural condition of every human being, and the search for acceptance of this fact is ideal, guaranteeing the dignity of the departing person. By not undergoing invasive procedures, usually away from home, which leave you exhausted; the patient in question may have more time and energy to be with loved ones, also taking advantage of, within their conditions, to live actively.
In our country, in 2006, Resolution No. 1,805 was published by the Federal Council of Medicine, aiming at the regulation of such practice in Brazil. It was authorized by the Federal Public Ministry only in 2010: the year in which orthothanasia was included in the new code of medical ethics.
According to such documents, orthothanasia should be considered in cases of terminal patients, with the consent of the patient or the family. Thus, sincere and sensible dialogue between those involved is very important.
