TERM 1
brain death
DEFINITION 1
A neurological definition of death. A person is brain dead
when all electrical activity of the brain has ceased for a
specified period of time. A flat EEG recording is one criterion
of for this.
TERM 2
euthanasia
DEFINITION 2
The act of painlessly ending the lives of persons who are
suffering from incurable diseases or severe disabilities;
sometimes called "mercy killing."
TERM 3
passive euthanasia
DEFINITION 3
The withholding of available treatments, such as life-
sustaining devices, allowing the person to die.
TERM 4
active euthanasia
DEFINITION 4
Death induced deliberately, as by injecting a lethal dose of a
drug.
TERM 5
hospice
DEFINITION 5
A program committed to making the end of life as free from
pain, anxiety, and depression as possible. The goals contrast
with those of a hospital, which are to cure disease and
prolong life.
