Resumen de Reflecting on deep palliative sedation also with reference to the recent document of NCB
It is necessary to know the ethical aspects of palliative sedation to distinguish it from euthanasia, especially because of its specific depth and continuity, and its application criteria in the imminence of death, as well as due to its purpose of relieving physical and psychological pain. It is not at all a form of “masked” euthanasia.There are some important aspects in the recent document of the National Committee for Bioethics that this article does not address. The present contribution focuses on whether there is a moral equivalence between deep sedation and euthanasia; and if through sedation an act of euthanasia can be applied. For this, it is necessary to consider whether palliative sedation accelerates or not the process of death, if it can be considered as a medical treatment. It will be seen how deep palliative sedation is in accordance with fundamental ethical principles. There are two important elements in the physician’s action in this field: his clinical judgment and informed consent
