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Fuat S Oduncu

Publications and source records attributed to Fuat S Oduncu.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Medicine at life's end--the view of a palliative physician].

An international comparison reveals considerable differences in the legal constraints imposed upon a physician in his approach to the question of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Despite the fact that surveys show 50-80% of the German population to be in favor of active assistance for terminally-ill patients wishing to end their lives, in 2004 the Bundesärztekammer (Federal Medical Association) confirmed its earlier rejection of active euthanasia and assisted suicide. Instead, Germany favors palliative medical measures that enable those whose death is imminent to take their leave with dignity.

Advance Directives↗
PubMed2003

Euthanasia: killing as due care?

On 10 April 2001, the Netherlands was the first country to pass a law on the killing of patients at their request (euthanasia), which took effect on 1 April 2002. Belgium followed and passed a euthanasia law on 16 May 2002, which took effect on 23 September 2002 and is even more liberal than the Dutch one. Physicians will be exempted from criminal liability provided they satisfy the so-called 'due care criteria'. However, in medical history euthanasia has never been part of the medical duty of care. Instead, the goals of medicine have always been the relief of pain and suffering. The current article provides insights into the Dutch, Belgian and Oregon euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide practices and reflects upon some central medical and legal documents on the regulation of euthanasia and the provision of palliative care. Modern palliative care includes both the delivery of competent palliative skills and a virtuous attitude of compassionate caring about the terminally ill patient as an autonomous person. Here, the author rejects killing as due care and proposes a novel concept of 'RAHME' (Aramaic: compassion, love, mercy), which calls for a holistically oriented concept where physicians act as companions to the terminally ill and dying patients.

Belgium↗
PubMed2003

Stem cell research in Germany: ethics of healing vs. human dignity.

On 25 April 2002, the German Parliament has passed a strict new law referring to stem cell research. This law took effect on July 1, 2002. The so-called embryonic Stem Cell Act ("Stammzellgesetz-StZG") permits the import of embryonic stem (ES) cells isolated from surplus lvF-embryos for research reasons. The production itself of ES cells from human blastocysts has been prohibited by the German Embryo Protection Act of 1990, with the exception of the use of ES cells which exist already. The debate on the legitimate use of ES cells escalated, after the main German research funding agency, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), unexpectedly published new guidelines recommending a restricted use of human ES cells for research. Meanwhile, the debate has ethically divided society, political parties, government and church members into a group supporting and a group rejecting ES cell research. The arguments in favour of such a research can be summarized as arguments derived from a new "ethics of healing" calling for a therapeutic imperative, whereas the arguments against can be summarized as arguments violating the fundamental principle of human dignity as they imply the destruction of human embryos. This article will try to present and evaluate various ethical arguments founded on the latest biological and medical data on the potential use of stem cell technologies. It will finally come to the conclusion that ES cell research is opposed to human dignity, since the procedures of isolating ES cells require the destruction and instrumentalization of human embryos. Human embryos are human beings at a very early stage of their development, fully possessing the ability of completing their development. At this very early stage, human embryos are extremely dependent and fragile, and thus vulnerable corporealities. Vulnerability and human dignity demand the protection of the embryo's corporeal integrity. Hence, this essay will try to propagate research with adult stem (AS) cells, a procedure which does not require the destruction of human embryos; with regard to the necessary plasticity, it should be emphasized that AS cells very much resemble ES cells.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The role of non-directiveness in genetic counseling.

When the complete human genome has been sequenced, everyone of us will become a potential candidate for genetic counseling and testing. Within a short period of time everyone will obtain his personal genetic passport identifying deleterious and susceptibility genes. With the availability of presymptomatic tests for late-onset disorders and the possibilities of prevention and treatment, the conflict between directiveness and nondirectiveness will dominate the counseling setting. Despite general consent on providing genetic information in a nondirective fashion to preserve value neutrality and enhance client's autonomy, there is no accepted common definition of what non-directiveness really is or ought to be. The article tries to elaborate some aspects which might be fruitful and clarifying in the complex issues involved in the black box of genetic counseling.

Communication↗