CT Bioethics & End-of-Life Decisions 2

Question 1

A patient with terminal cancer loses decision-making capacity after previously refusing a feeding tube. The surrogate insists on tube feeding. Which ethical principle most directly supports honoring the patient's prior refusal?

Accepted Answer

Autonomy

Answer

Autonomy respects the patient's right to make decisions about their own body, including prior directives that remain binding after capacity is lost.

Question 2

In the doctrine of double effect, which criterion distinguishes permissible palliative sedation from euthanasia?

Accepted Answer

The harmful effect must not be the means to the good effect

Answer

Double effect requires that harm (hastened death) be a foreseen but unintended side effect, not the mechanism through which relief is achieved.

Question 3

A 78-year-old patient with advanced dementia has no advance directive. Her adult children disagree about withdrawing ventilator support. What is the ethically preferred decision-making standard when intent cannot be determined?

Accepted Answer

Best interests standard

Answer

When prior wishes are unknown, the best interests standard guides surrogates to choose what a reasonable person in the patient's situation would want.

Question 4

Which legal document specifically allows a person to designate someone else to make healthcare decisions on their behalf if incapacitated?

Accepted Answer

Durable power of attorney for healthcare

Answer

A durable power of attorney for healthcare (healthcare proxy) legally designates an agent to make medical decisions when the person lacks capacity.

Question 5

Medical futility is most accurately defined as treatment that:

Accepted Answer

Cannot achieve the patient's physiological or goals-of-care objectives

Answer

Medical futility means the intervention will not achieve the intended physiological goal or the patient's defined goals of care, not merely that it is expensive or unapproved.

(CT) Certified Thanatologist Practice Test

(CT) Certified Thanatologist Practice Test

CT Bioethics & End-of-Life Decisions 2