Navigating the Ethical Crossroads of Suicide Attempts and End-of-Life Directives

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders are intended to respect patient autonomy and prevent unnecessary suffering when resuscitative efforts are unlikely to provide meaningful benefit. While their use is well established in end-of-life care, their application becomes ethically and procedurally complex whe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elisheva T.A. Nemetz, Ryan S. Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal 2025-07-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Bioethics
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Online Access:https://cjb-rcb.ca/index.php/cjb-rcb/article/view/891
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Summary:Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders are intended to respect patient autonomy and prevent unnecessary suffering when resuscitative efforts are unlikely to provide meaningful benefit. While their use is well established in end-of-life care, their application becomes ethically and procedurally complex when a patient with an existing DNR order attempts to die by suicide. This paper explores the challenges that arise in such cases, emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach that integrates clinical assessment, considers the temporal context of suicidal intent, and upholds foundational DNR principles.
ISSN:2561-4665