- Stopping or not starting potentially life-sustaining therapy.
- Accelerating opioids for intractable pain or dyspnea.
- Palliative sedation, potentially to unconsciousness.
- Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED).
- Physician-assisted death (by patient-administered lethal prescription). Legal in 11 U.S. jurisdictions, 3 Australian jurisdictions, Germany, Switzerland, and everywhere VAE is permitted.
- Voluntary active euthanasia (by physician-administered lethal medication). Legal only in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Spain. Legal in Tasmania (Australia), Victoria (Australia), and Western Australia only when self-administration is not possible.
- Nonvoluntary euthanasia (life-ending acts without current explicit request [LAWER]). This is not legal but is sometimes practiced where patient is incapable of communication, clearly suffering, and close to death.
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