A physician decides to discontinue or not to use extraordinary life sustaining measures to prolong his patients life. It is known as?
Active euthanasia
Passive euthanasia
Positive euthanasia
Assisted Suicide
Active euthanasia or positive euthanasia is a positive merciful act, to end useless suffering or a meaningless existence. It is an act of commission. Example: By giving large doses of drugs to hasten death. Passive euthanasia means discontinuing or not using extraordinary life sustaining measures to prolong life. This includes acts of omission. Example: Failure to resuscitate a terminally ill or hopelessly incapacitated patient. Assisted suicide: A person providing information to another with information, guidance and means to take his own life with the intention that it will be used for this purpose is assisted suicide. Ref: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology 29th Ed Page 42.