Futility and orthotanasia are among the concepts related to the terminality life. Futility means therapeutic obstinacy to delay imminent death. Orthothanasia means death in its natural process, not prolonging treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of patients` family members in private general hospital on orthotanasia and futility, assessing which the most widely accepted alternative is. This was a cross-sectional, observational study, in which 190 families were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire containing questions about social aspects and knowledge on the subject. Most respondents (64.2 %) opted for the realization of futility as a conduct for their relative. Of the 122 participants who did not know the meaning of "terminal condition", 85.9% would choose futility. However, among those who knew what they meant, 70,9% would choose orthotanasia. The study indicates that this topic needs to be discussed by society, encouraging them to understand the individual and collective implications of life prolongations when suffering.
Critical illness; Social perception; Population; Medical futility; Bioethics