Introduction:

People who experience severe and untreated pain are often pained by pain most of the day and often for long periods. In 1990, WHO adopted the definition of palliative care proposed by the EAPC as “Active care of patients whose disease does not respond to curative treatment, "and specifying,” control of pain and other symptoms and psychological, social and spiritual problems is paramount".

Objectives:

A Review the ethical criteria of personal orientation on the right to a dignified death. B. Review of the legal literature on the human right and its application to palliative care.

Patient and Methods:

qualitative study by systematic review of the medical literature published in the following search engines: Scielo, HINARI, Pubmed, review of published articles and manuals of Bioethics and Rights Results The total number of articles identified was 95 (MEDLINE) and 176 (CINAHL). After sifting, the compilation of other articles that speak of the legal and bioethical aspect, 40 articles were considered relevant and are discussed here in the thematic analysis. The revised literature gives ethical criteria about the right to a dignified death.

Results:

No maleficence: Avoid euthanasia, abandonment and distaniasia, Beneficence: Rights to access opioids and other basic medicines. Justice: Universal right to palliative care. Autonomy: Informed consent and living will. The texts analyzed are consistent in that access to pain relief and general access to palliative care is a human right. This right is an application of art. 25 of the Declaration of Human Rights that refers to the right to health and art. 5 of this declaration, which in its second part refers to the protection of the right not to be subjected to cruel or inhuman treatment.

Conclusion:

there is evidence in the present revision of articles that prove that palliative care must be universally provided, as well as, the absence of provision of it is to violate a fundamental human right.

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