Palliative sedation and controversies over its usage

Abstract

The article concerns about the sedation procedure in palliative medicine in legal point of view, especially criminal law analysis. Sedation in palliative medicine is used to limit a patient?s consciousness, to bring an end to his suffering. This paper includes basic problems associated with the procedure of sedation, such as measuring the level of suffering, the way of treating patients both in hospital and in home care. The text focuses particularly on presentation similarities and differences between sedation and euthanasia, also in countries, where both procedures are legal. Also possible legal consequences of the limitation of patient?s consciousness, which inflicts both the patient?s ability to decide in daily situations, and to take part in family life have been considered, as in some theories active participation in social life is important to fulfill one?s needs. Consequently, some concepts of death are presented in paper, to analyse their possible influence on legal aspects of sedation.