María Fernanda Reyes Martínez presented an ethical and clinical analysis on palliative sedation in non-oncological terminal illnesses, highlighting the importance of decisions based on autonomy, proportionality and truly humane care at the end of life.
On November 28, 2025, María Fernanda Reyes Martínez, medical intern completing her social service at the Anáhuac Center for Strategic Development in Bioethics (CADEBI), participated in the X Research Colloquium of the School of Bioethics at Universidad Anáhuac México, presenting her research titled: “Palliative Sedation in Non-Oncological Terminal Illnesses: Ethical and Practical Considerations in the Management of Suffering.”
During her presentation, María Fernanda outlined the essential elements needed to understand palliative sedation as a therapeutic tool aimed at relieving refractory suffering in patients with non-oncological terminal diseases. She highlighted the importance of decision-making grounded in the bioethical principles of autonomy and therapeutic proportionality.
She also emphasized the need to strengthen both the ethical and clinical training of healthcare professionals, particularly in contexts where patients experience symptoms that do not respond to conventional treatments and require interventions that ensure a dignified, humane, and suffering-free end-of-life process. In her talk, she addressed the ongoing challenges in Mexico regarding the updating and implementation of palliative care guidelines, as well as the urgent need to promote more interdisciplinary research to improve communication processes, patient support, and shared decision-making with patients and families.
María Fernanda’s participation in this colloquium reaffirms the commitment of CADEBI and the School of Bioethics to training professionals capable of integrating bioethical analysis into clinical practice, contributing to a more humane, just, and person-centered healthcare system.
The full presentation is available for viewing on the official Facebook page “Medicina y Ética”: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ByA5Pivtr/?mibextid=wwXIfr
More information:
Centro Anáhuac de Desarrollo Estratégico en Bioética (CADEBI)
Dr. Alejandro Sánchez Guerrero
alejandro.sanchezg@anahuac.mx
