Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 199: Too Much Morphine?

Careful attention to pain management is of paramount importance in end-of-life care and supports both the patient and the family in a dignified way during the dying process.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationJanuary 31, 2022Death and Dying, End-of-Life Issues, Pain Management-Palliative Care and Hospice, Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Suffering

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 177: Thinking Through the Rationing of Ventilators

When ventilators are in short supply, several key ethical principles can assist clinicians.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationMarch 30, 2020COVID-19, Ventilators, Death and Dying, End-of-Life Issues, Proportionate and Disproportionate Means

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 171: Palliative Sedation While Approaching Death

When we find ourselves nailed to our hospital bed, it can become an important personal moment for us to engage the possibility of a spiritual transformation opening before us.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationSeptember 30, 2019Caring for the Elderly and Infirm, Death and Dying, Pain Management-Palliative Care and Hospice, Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Suffering, End-of-Life Issues

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 094: Going Too Far with DNR?

These judgments are tricky to make, because the specifics of each case differ, and those specifics change with time and disease progression. DNR’s should be put in place only when the circumstances warrant it, that is to say, on a case-by-case, patient-specific basis.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationApril 30, 2013Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, End-of-Life Issues, Advance Directives, DNRs

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 087: Deciding About Dialysis

Weighing benefits and burdens is at the heart of the question of starting, continuing or stopping dialysis.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationSeptember 30, 2012Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Dialysis, End-of-Life Issues

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 084: What About Ventilators?

When should we place a loved one on a ventilator? The answer depends on whether the use of a ventilator in a particular case can be considered ‘ordinary’ or ‘extraordinary.’

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationJune 30, 2012Ventilators, Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, End-of-Life Issues

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 065: Facing Terminal Illnesses Realistically

…approaching our own mortality with a greater dose of realism helps us make better decisions about when to roll back the medical interventions and focus our energies on preparing for death.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationNovember 30, 2010Death and Dying, Pain Management-Palliative Care and Hospice, Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Suffering, End-of-Life Issues

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 058: Towards “Passive Euthanasia”

Recognizing that dehydration is a painful way to die serves as a helpful starting point to assist family members in addressing the nutrition and hydration needs of their loved ones who may find themselves in compromised states or approaching the end of life.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationApril 30, 2010Persistent Vegetative State (PVS), Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Suffering, Death and Dying, Dementia, Artificial Nutrition and Hydration, End-of-Life Issues, Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 031: Feeding Our Loved Ones: The Modern Anathema of Living With Brain Damage

Our duty is to provide loving care and strong support to those whose “quality of life” may be less than perfect, including those who are sick or those who may be disabled like Terri Schiavo, rather than targeting them for an early demise through the withholding of food and water.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationJanuary 30, 2008Persistent Vegetative State (PVS), Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Artificial Nutrition and Hydration, Disabilities and the Disabled

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 018: Are Feeding Tubes Required?

The answer always depends on the particulars of a patient’s situation, but there are a few broad considerations that can help in the discernment process.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationDecember 30, 2006Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Artificial Nutrition and Hydration

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 009: “No Tubes for Me”

In order to decide whether a treatment is ordinary, we must also look at the patient’s condition and circumstances, and not merely focus on the treatment, the medical device, or the medicine itself.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationMarch 30, 2006Proportionate and Disproportionate Means, Artificial Nutrition and Hydration, End-of-Life Issues

“Making Sense of Bioethics” CMS