Lifespan Development Practice Test

Which term is used when death occurs naturally as a result of cessation of medical intervention?

Active Euthanasia Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Physician Assisted Suicide Passive Euthanasia

Correct Answer:

Passive Euthanasia

Explanation:

When life-sustaining treatment is withheld or withdrawn and death follows as a natural result, this is called passive euthanasia. It happens when doctors or patients choose not to start or to stop treatments that could keep someone alive, letting the illness run its course without directly causing death. This differs from active euthanasia, where death is caused by a direct action to end life. It also differs from physician-assisted suicide, where the physician provides the means for the patient to end their own life. A Do Not Resuscitate order relates to whether resuscitation is attempted if the heart stops, but it doesn’t itself cause death. So, the term that fits naturally for death occurring after stopping treatment is passive euthanasia.

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