https://doi.org/10.4081/mem.2019.595
Morire senza coscienza. La giustificazione morale della sedazione palliativa profonda continua
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Un recente disegno di legge sulle cure alla fine della vita ha proposto di estendere l'opzione della sedazione palliativa profonda continua anche a pazienti che non siano in fase terminale di malattia. Questo sviluppo del dibattito sulle cure alla fine della vita richiede un nuovo sforzo per chiarire i termini della questione e risolvere alcune persistenti ambiguità. Il presente articolo sottolinea come la sedazione palliativa profonda continua sia eticamente lecita, e in effetti parte integrante delle cure palliative, solo quando eseguita in modo conforme alle principali linee guida. Daremo argomenti per mostrare come 'l'imminenza di morte', generalmente intesa come morte attesa entro poche ore/giorni, sia un importante criterio clinico per decidere della liceità etica di questa pratica medica. Nella nostra argomentazione (1) spiegheremo come la Dottrina del Duplice effetto, cui frequentemente si fa ricorso nei dibattiti etici su questa pratica, non sia invece necessariamente applicabile al caso della sedazione palliativa; (2) identificheremo una giustificazione alternativa, etica e clinica, per il ricorso alla sedazione in situazioni di fine vita; infine (3) discuteremo l'eventuale liceità del ricorso alla sedazione palliativa in casi di sofferenza esistenziale. Contiamo in tal modo di contribuire allo sviluppo del dibattito bioetico in corso su questi temi.
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