• 한국과학기술학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.12a
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• pp.247-278
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• 2015

Recently, as DNR prevails more and more in Korea, discussions regarding meaningless medical life-sustaining-treatment (LST) intensified. Some of the Supreme Court decisions are even discussed in mass media, causing public debates. These cases tell us that, as life-sustaining medical technologies are highly developed, more sociological and policy-related analyses are needed on them. Firstly, this study will review 40 previous studies that analyze recent discussions in Korea about LST. Secondly, this study also shows that in bioethical and policy-related perspectives, governance about LST calls for a new implications regarding thanatoethics and thanatopolitics. In this new theoretical framework, death with dignity (DwD) can be understood as a process of giving back the thanatopower to the subject who chooses his way of ending based on his sound and free will. Thirdly, some of the new LST or resuscitation technologies such as automated external defibrillators (AED) are developed in RRI framework. However, if subjects themselves choose not to apply those technologies on them, as in the case of DNR (do not resuscitate) vows, meaning of developing such technologies are to be questioned. But currently such questions regarding the limitations of RRI are seldom asked. I argue that in order to properly apply RRI framework on existing technology, we also need to consider these points.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2017

Inevitable immobilization after surgery on lower extremities can induce chronic constipation. Elderly diabetic women usually express ambiguous gastrointestinal symptoms and signs. We present here a case of panperitonitis developed from severe fecal impaction in an elderly diabetic woman after hand reconstruction using material harvested from the lower extremities. A 68-year-old diabetic female underwent anterolateral thigh free flap and wound revision twice on the left thumb. Three weeks after surgery, she complained about mild abdominal pain though she had daily defecation. Despite encouraging ambulation, her compliance was low. Resection of the sigmoid colon and colostomy were performed after diagnosis with bowel perforation. However, the patient went into septic shock and died with multiorgan failure after the guardians issued a DNR (do not resuscitate) order. For preventing bowel perforation, increased uptake of dietary fiber and early ambulation postoperatively should be encouraged, after even hand surgeries.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1197-1211
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• 2010

This research was concucted to present a model of advance directives(AD) when a patient, who is in consciousness, shows a preference for an end of life care as an act of preparing for an uncertain situation that may arise in the forseeable future. The subjects of the research are 383 doctors/nurese and adults, who live in six cities and provinces, to investigate the status of AD, attitude regarding a meaningless life-prolonging treatment, and moreover, an understanding of and a preference for AD. The research was done by the well-structured questionnaire. Also, SPSS 14.0 is used to analyse the collected data, focused on frequency analysis, avearage and standard deviation, X2 test. As the results of the study, the most of the surveyed doctors/nurese knew DNR orders and AD and a few of them used DNR orders and AD practically. Also, the result shows that there is a negative conception of meaningless life-prolonging treatment among the responents, in addition, most of them agreed upon the idea of introducing AD to Korea, filling it out and making it legally effective. As a method of making AD out, the respondents wanted to use a form that mixed living will with an Power of Attorney in a document. Also, considering the appropriate time, respondents prefered when they are diagnosed with terminal illness. At the moment, the introductory model for AD, which is suitable for the Korean culture and current situation is presented based on the result of this research. In the future, other researches should deal with specific measures that can lead to a social consensus to adopt AD in Korea.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2009

Purpose: We undertook this study to find out the recognitions of terminal cancer patients and doctors about advance directives (ADs), of how they would do in non-response medical conditions and whether ADs could be one of medical options for their dying with dignity. Methods: One hundred thirty four cancer patients in the Hospice Unit, St. Vincent's Hospital, and 97 medical doctors in the Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic Medical Center, were asked about ADs, including Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR), medical power of attorney, living will and medical options. Results: One hundred thirty patients (97%) and 38 doctors (39.2%) were unfamiliar with ADs, however, 128 patients (95.5%), 95 doctors (97.9%) agreed with it. Seventy nine patients (59.0%) and 96 doctors (99.0%) wanted DNR rather then intensive treatments if they were in non-response medical conditions. Eighty four patients (62.7%) and 75 doctors (77.3%) were agreeable to medical power of attorney. One hundred Thirty four patients (100.0%) and 94 doctors (96.9%) did not want medical options to be in terminal conditions, and hoped to die in peace. Conclusion: Most of patients did not know about ADs and how to make it. However, they showed positive attitudes about it. If we advertise it properly, it is highly likely that a large number of cancer patients would make their living wills easily by ADs. Nevertheless, many legal and ethical problems have to be solved. Doctors should engage their patients in an ongoing communication about the end-of-life. Therefore, let the patients have opportunities to plan their own deaths.