Natural death

Background: The increasing age of every human being is the beginning of the end of life, an obviously natural process, but any attempt to define the t erm 'natural death' soon encounters difficulties in defining what is meant by 'natural', in the industrialized countries of the West, for example 'nat ural death' is thought of as the opposite of non-natural types of death suc h as accidental death, suicide, and homicide. Objective: The aim of our pre sent survey is to discuss the meaning of the term 'natural death' under a c linical, a forensic and a scientific point of view with regard to recent de velopments especially in molecular biology. Conclusion: If there are 'exter nal' physical influences, a medical-technical manipulation, a therapeutic o r molecular biological intervention cannot be definitely ruled out as the c ause of death, then use of the term 'natural death' in general is open to q uestion. It will only remain meaningful if it can be applied with a specifi c meaning in definite practical situations. Current research and medical te chnology, however, do not allow use of the term 'natural death' in its conv entional sense: it can thus be stricken from the medical vocabulary. Copyri ght (C) 2000 S.Karger AG, Basel.