Nurse is aware that there are numerous bioethical issues involved in the practice or euthanasia. Which of the following events most clearly constitutes active euthanasia?
A) A woman chooses not to phone 911 when her elderly husband become unconscious in the
home.
B) At his and his wife's request, a doctor provides a man with a fatal dose of phenytoin.
C) A nurse withholds cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a patient in light of the
patient's DNR order.
D) A family decides against treating their mother's sepsis because of her low potential for
recovery.
Ans: B
Negative, or passive, euthanasia refers to a situation in which no extraordinary or
heroic measures are undertaken to sustain life. This includes applying DNR orders, opting not
to phone 911, or choosing to withhold treatment of an acute illness. Active euthanasia,
however, occurs in a situation in which the physician prescribes, supplies, or administers an
agent that results in death.
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