Refusal of Hydration and Nutrition
Irrelevance of the "Artificial" vs "Natural" Distinction
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:2574-2576.
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INTRODUCTION
The recent case of Terri Schiavo has reignited a public dispute about certain aspects of the care of patients who are severely cognitively impaired, including those in a persistent vegetative state. Schiavo’s parents repeatedly pointed out that her ability to swallow was never tested and believed that it was possible for her to be safely hand-fed. They also unsuccessfully petitioned the courts to be permitted to attempt hand-feeding if and when her gastrostomy tube was removed.1 In the United States there is an ethical and legal consensus that a competent adult or surrogate may refuse any unwanted medical intervention. Since hand-feeding is not a medical intervention, this request by Schiavo’s parents may have appeared legitimate. In this article, we argue that a convincing response to their request cannot be made within the framework of the current consensus. Instead, we propose that under certain circumstances surrogates may choose that all forms . . . [Full Text of this Article]
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Robert D. Truog, MD;
Thomas I. Cochrane, MD, MBA
RELATED LETTERS
The Ethical Requirement to Provide Hydration and Nutrition
Fritz Baumgartner
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(12):1324.
EXTRACT
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The Ethical Requirement to Provide Hydration and Nutrition—Reply
Thomas I. Cochrane and Robert D. Truog
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(12):1324-1325.
EXTRACT
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RELATED ARTICLE
The American Public and the Terri Schiavo Case
Robert J. Blendon, John M. Benson, and Melissa J. Herrmann
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(22):2580-2584.
ABSTRACT
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