Authors

1José Enrique Hernández Rodríguez, 2Carmen Delia Medina Castellano, 3Maximino Díaz Hernández

Position

¹Diplomado en Enfermería. Profesor Titular del Departamento de Enfermería de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. ²Diplomada en Enfermería y Licenciada en Derecho. Profesora Titular del Departamento de Enfermería de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.³Diplomado en Enfermería y Licenciado en Psicología. Profesor Titular del Departamento de Enfermería de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Contact address

Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Departamento de Enfermería. Plaza del Dr. Pasteur, s/n. 35016 Las Plamas de Gran Canaria.

Contact email: jhernandez@denf.ulpgc.es

Abstract

A situation of cardiac-respiratory arrest triggers a series of actions aimed at reverting death once initiated. Also, the interpretation that society has given to survival possibilities, and which have been achieved by the development of science and technology, coupled with the constant struggle of many healthcare professionals to avoid death, make this procedure an activity that rather than maintaining life, prolongs death. In this sense, the concept of cardio-respiratory death and brain death as well as other established criteria become a relevant issue when the decision to start a life saving manoeuvre has to be taken. Normally, ethical aspects are not a priority in this situation and therefore are not entirely taken into account, prompting situations, as shown in countless studies, in which the quality of life of the patient is totally the contrary to the dignity that supposedly should be preserved.

Keywords:

cardio pulmonary reanimation; cardio-pulmonary resuscitation; death; dignityethic principles

Versión en Español

Título:

Reflexiones éticas sobre la Reanimación Cardio-Pulmonar (RCP)