Limitation of therapeutic effort: When less is more

The development and proliferation of intensive care units (ICU) and the ability of technology to replace vital functions have added unmeasurable value to medical practice and have changed the way in which culture and science face disease and death. Following progress, new ethical dilemmas arrived: today it is not clear where to draw the line that separates good medical practice and the rational use of technology. Almost always, dignity and life had similar value and, as there were no resources, decisions were based on the principle of dignity, but now resources give more options to sustain life, and in some cases dignity is not under discussion.