Vlad Limonnik, Don Vizorov, Robert Kleyman
Annotated Bibliography
Professor Fradkin
English 102-904
15 February 2008
Euthanasia: An Annotated Bibliography
Angell, Marcia. “Health Care Implications.” Euthanasia ProCon 30 Aug. 2006. 16 Feb. 2008
< http://www.euthanasiaprocon.org/americanhealthspending.html>.
This article discusses the topic of government spending on health care. Most of this
article is based around the fact that the government has to spend billions of dollars each year to
help keep terminally-ill patients on life support. Angell states that the United States spends more
than $4,500 on each Americans health bill every month, a figure that is almost double the
amount of any other country. This article is trying to get the point across that funding the lifesupport of many seriously ill patients costs a great deal of money, around $40 billion a year, and
that it might not be very wise for the government to spend that much money if doctors have
already pronounced that a patient will never recover.
This article was significant because it answered my question regarding how much it
costs to support patients with serious illnesses. After realizing that our government spends more
than $40 billion on medical bills, it became apparent that spending that amount of money to keep
someone alive in a “vegetative” state might not prove to be beneficial to the patient or
government.
This article will be used in the section in which we discuss the government’s role on the
practice of euthanasia.
Battin, Margaret P. "Legal Physician-Assisted Dying in Oregon and the Netherlands:
Evidence Concerning the Impact on Patients in "Vulnerable" Groups." Journal of Medical
Ethics 33 (2007) : 591 pp. 13 Feb. 2008
<http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.library.drexel.edu/pqdweb?index=3&did=1354034891
&SrchMode=1&sid=4&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQ
D&TS=1203632787&clientId=18133>.
This journal discusses the effects of legalizing euthanasia. Specifically, it relates on
evidence from the state of Oregon and the Netherlands, where euthanasia is legal. Evidence from
these areas shows no risk to the elderly, people with low education status, or women. The journal
states that people with HIV are at heightened risks for having euthanasia performed on them. Of
the many families who have had loved ones receive physician-assisted death, several have
claimed that they were pleased because it took the pain away from the individual they greatly
cared about.
I think that this journal shows much evidence that supports the upside of legalizing
euthanasia. In addition, this evidence will help our paper be more effective since there is factual
and numerical statistics on the benefits of having physician-assisted suicide legal.
This journal will be used as a critical resource for the website because of the evidence
that it shows supporting the legalization of euthanasia.
Marker, Rita. "Reasons for Euthanasia." Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide 8 July. 1996. 13 Feb.
2008 <http://www.euthanasia.com/reasonsforeuthanasia.html>.
This article analyzes three main reasons on the benefits of making euthanasia legal;
unbearable pain, right to commit suicide, and allowing people to have their choice of staying
alive or not. The article states that one of the major reasons why euthanasia should be legalized
is to prevent the suffering that a patient must endure while he/she is alive. In addition, it also
states that every person has a right to make their own decision about the way they live their life,
in this case the decision to stay alive or be put down. The final reason that the article stresses is
that people have a right to demand their own suicide; it is their life at stake.
I feel that every debate going on about euthanasia is based primarily on these main
points. I agree with the article as to why euthanasia should be legalized. I would not want to be
suffering with the extreme pain that some patients must deal with on a daily basis. Furthermore, I
would want to be able to make a decision about my life and what should be done with it instead
of having others decide it for me.
This article has three good points as to why euthanasia should be legal; therefore, it will
be used in our website to support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
Robinson, B.A. “Euthanasia and Terri Schiavo.” Religious Tolerance 27 Mar. 2005. 18 Feb.
2008 <http://www.religioustolerance.org/schiavo6.htm>.
This article talks about Terri Schiavo, a 41-year-old disabled woman in Florida. She was
the center of attention when it came to the topic of euthanasia. The whole focus was on whether
to keep Terri alive or allow her to die. The article explains what caused her injury, what has been
done over the years, up to the conclusion that stirred up all sorts of complication. Doctors said
that she was in a persistent vegetative condition, stating "Patients in a persistent vegetative state
lack integrated function of the cerebral cortex while retaining involuntary brain stem reflexes
that regulate heart rate, digestive, circulatory, sleep and other involuntary bodily functions. Their
behaviors are automatic, non-purposeful, uninhibited reflexes no longer under voluntary control
by higher brain centers (Robinson)." Patients in this persistent vegetative state can never fully
recover. Her husband and parents could not agree with the ultimate decision of putting her to
rest. Her feeding tube was removed on Mar. 19, 2005. She died on Mar. 31, of dehydration.
The article shows an example of a case of euthanasia. It goes to show how difficult of a
dilemma people must face when making a life altering decision, especially that of another
individual. If someone is in such a poor condition it would be better to let them go, no matter
how much it may hurt.
We will use this information in the section that will question the ethics and morality of
euthanasia.
Shapiro, Richard S. "Willingness to perform euthanasia. A survey of physician attitudes."
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (2007) : 418 pp. 13 Feb. 2008
<http://www.accessmedicine.com.ezproxy.library.drexel.edu/content.aspx?aID=2613825
&searchStr=euthanasia >.
This journal discusses a study that was performed on physician attitudes towards the
practice of euthanasia. Shapiro gave nearly a 1000 physicians a four-section survey that analyzed
several specific variables on their attitudes towards euthanasia, such as the patient’s disease,
mental state, age, and the physician’s area of expertise and religion. The four parts of the survey
basically asked a physician how they would respond to a patient requesting euthanasia, how the
legalization of this practice might affect their careers and personal life, and some demographic
information. After 740 surveys were analyzed it was concluded that physician’s felt better if the
request to perform euthanasia came from a non-terminal patient that had previously left advance
directives, rather than from patients with serious illnesses or injuries. It was also concluded that
the specialties and religions of physicians were directly related to their generalized attitudes
(Shapiro 418).
This journal is proved to be very significant because it shows us that many physicians
would not have major issues with performing euthanasia as long as they are fine with the stage of
the patient’s disease, mental state, age, and their own area of expertise and religious beliefs. It
also answered our question regarding the circumstances that a physician would feel comfortable
performing euthanasia on a patient.
We will use this information to support our claim that physicians will not have major
concerns with performing euthanasia as long as the conditions of both the physician and patient
are appropriate.
Wilson, Keith G., et al. “Attitudes of Terminally Ill Patients Toward Euthanasia and PhysicianAssisted Suicide.” Archives of Internal Medicine. 160.16 (2000): 2454-2460 pp. 13 Feb.
2008 <http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/160/16/2454>.
This journal entry shows the attitudes of patients, specifically those with severe cancer,
towards euthanasia. The authors designed a survey which they gave to cancer victims. The
survey was made up of questions concerning the willingness to accept physician-assisted suicide
if pain became unbearable and death was inevitable. Of the 70 terminally ill patients interviewed,
73% believed that euthanasia should be legalized and that it should be an individual’s right to
choose their fate. Half of the participants also stated that, if legal, they would personally make a
request for a quicker death. The ones who opposed this issue cited moral and religious objections
(Wilson et al). Wilson concluded that many patients with advanced cancer would favor access to
euthanasia but patients who would request this form of death would need to be psychologically
evaluated along with their physical symptoms.
This paper makes our argument credible with actual evidence on what these victims
want, ultimately. Euthanasia should be a choice for the individual, and this article states exactly
that.
This information will support our choice for legalizing euthanasia and will be used in the
section dealing with the public’s opinion on this debated issue.