[Patient's living will].

Abstract

The living will is a directive by a competent adult person, for the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures in the event of a terminal condition. While there exist actually about 40 or more living will laws in the USA, has legislation so far in the German speaking countries not been occupied with the problem. However it is widely accepted that a terminally ill and competent patient's wish to die peacefully and to have omitted life-sustaining measures has to be accepted, so long as there does not exist any hope of recovery. Voluntary euthanasia can in any case not be requested by a living will.