Ethical dilemmas in palliative care: a literature review

Abstract

Issues concerning the beginning and end of life are an immense challenge for they involve various concepts related to science and religion, and have humanistic, social, legal, bioethical, and moral character. This study aimed to present the ethical dilemmas experienced by health professionals when facing death. Among the various ethical impasses, the main ones are resource limitations, the difficulty in communication and decision-making. They make us reflect on various end-of-life  factors, such as establishing integrated communication, always telling the truth, and understanding non-adherence, discontinuations, and treatment refusals.