Text4TheSupremeCourt'sdecisionsonphysician-assistedsuicidecanrryimportantimplicationsforhowmedicineseekstorelievedyingpatientsofpainandsuffering.
Althoughitr uledthatthereisnoconstitutionalrighttophysician-assistedsuicide,theCourtineffectsupportedthemedicalprincipleof"doubleeffect,"acenturies-oldmoralprincipleholdingthatanactionhavingtwoeffects--agoodonethatisintendedandaharmfulonethatisforeseen--ispermissibleiftheactorintendsonlythegoodeffect.
Doctorshaveusedthatprincipleinrecentyearstojustifyusinghighdosesofmorphinetocontr olterminallyillpatients'pain,eventhoughincreasingdosageswilleventuallykillthepatient.
NancyDubler,directorofMontefioreMedicalCenter,contendsthattheprinciplewillshielddoctorswho"untilnowhavevery,verystr onglyinsistedthattheycouldnotgivepatientssufficientmediationtocontr oltheirpainifthatmighthastendeath."
GeorgeAnnas,chairofthehealthlawdepartmentatBostonUniversity,maintainsthat,aslongasadoctorprescribesadrugforalegitimatemedicalpurpose,thedoctorhasdonenothingillegalevenifthepatientusesthedrugtohastendeath."It'slikesurgery,"hesays."Wedon'tcallthosedeathshomicidesbecausethedoctorsdidn'tintendtokilltheirpatients,althoughtheyriskedtheirdeath.Ifyou'reaphysician,youcanriskyourpatient'ssuicideaslongasyoudon'tintendtheirsuicide."
Onanotherlevel,manyinthemedicalcommunityacknowledgethattheassisted-suicidedebatehasbeenfueledinpartbythedespairofpatientsforwhommodemmedicinehasprolongedthephysicalagonyofdying.
JustthreeweeksbeforetheCourt'srulingonphysician-assistedsuicide,theNationalAcademyofScience(NAS)releasedatwo-volumereport,ApproachingDeath:ImprovingCareattheEndofLife.Itidentifiestheundertr eatmentofpainandtheaggressiveuseof"ineffectualandforcedmedicalproceduresthatmayprolongandevendishonortheperiodofdying"asthetwinproblemsofend-of-lifecare.
Theprofessionistakingstepstorequireyoungdoctorstotr aininhospices,totestknowledgeofaggressivepainmanagementtherapies,todevelopaMedicarebillingcodeforhospital-basedcare,andtodevelopnewstandardsforassessingandtr eatingpainattheendoflife.
Annassayslawyerscanplayakeyroleininsistingthatthesewell-meaningmedicalinitiativestr anslateintobettercare."Largenumbersofphysiciansseemunconcernedwiththepaintheirpatientsareneedlesslyandpredictablysuffering,"totheextentthatitconstitutes"systematicpatientabuse."Hesaysmedicallicensingboards"mustmakeitclear...thatpainfuldeathsarepresumptivelyonesthatareincompetentlymanagedandshouldresultinlicensesuspension."
第56题：Fromthefirstthreeparagraphs,welearnthat
Adoctorsusedtoincreasedrugdosagestocontr oltheirpatients'pain.
Bitisstillillegalfordoctorstohelpthedyingendtheirlives.
CtheSupremeCourtstr onglyopposesphysician-assistedsuicide.
Dpatientshavenoconstitutionalrighttocommitsuicide.
正确答案：B
