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{{B}}Preferences Vary on Circumstances of
Dying{{/B}} Among terminally (晚期) ill people, attitudes differ on what they think constitutes a{{U}} (51) {{/U}}or bad death, the results of a new study suggest. Dr. Elizabeth K. Vig of the University of Washington in Seattle and colleagues interviewed 26 men with{{U}} (52) {{/U}}heart disease or cancer. The men were asked to describe good and bad deaths, and they also answered{{U}} (53) {{/U}}about their preferences for dying. "In this small study, terminally ill men described good and bad deaths{{U}} (54) {{/U}}," Vig said. "They did not hold the same views about such issues{{U}} (55) {{/U}}the presence of others at the very end of life or preferred location of death." Many of the men considered{{U}} (56) {{/U}}in their sleep to be a good death. The reasons were varied and included not{{U}} (57) {{/U}}that death was imminent (即将发生的), and that death would be painless. For close to half of the men, a prolonged (拖延的) death was{{U}} (58) {{/U}}a bad death. Some of the men associated a prolonged death with prolonged pain,{{U}} (59) {{/U}}others thought a prolonged death would be difficult for their families. Most men said that their{{U}} (60) {{/U}}were very important to them, but this did not mean that they wanted relatives close at the{{U}} (61) {{/U}}of death. "Valuing family did not also{{U}} (62) {{/U}}wanting family present at the very end of life," Vig said. "In fact, some expressed concerns{{U}} (63) {{/U}}burdening loved ones," Vig said. For instance, some men were worried about the emotional or{{U}} (64) {{/U}}impact on their family members, according to the Washington researcher. Some were worried{{U}} (65) {{/U}}their need for care would be a burden on their families, she said. |