Mario Riccio is the physician who assisted Piergiorgio Welby in the final phase of his life. In this article, Ricci makes an analysis of the Italian most important cases on end of life decisions, that is the Welby case and the Englaro case. Morevoer, the author describes the current Italian situation about end of life under ethical, mental and legal frames. Finally, he provides a short comparison with other countries.
Keywords: Casi Welby ed Englaro, fine vita, eutanasia, rifiuto/interruzione delle cure, futilità in medicina