Terminal Dehydration

Paper Summary:

This paper presents the pro's and con's of terminal dehydration, the total withdrawal of food, water and treatment methods from the patient that hastens his death. The author points out that terminal dehydration may prove to be a stressful and excruciating experience for the patient as well as the caregivers because death by terminal dehydration can take as much as 3 to 4 weeks and is crueler than physician-assisted suicide. The author believes that whatever the reasoning we still cannot justify terminal dehydration or any other form of foregoing life as an acceptable clinical practice and stresses the importance of palliative care based on love and a sense of collective responsibility of taking care of the incapacitated elders.

From the Paper:

"Since it is within the legitimate rights of the patient to either refuse or accept treatment, terminal dehydration is legally admissible. Hence, there are no real legal conflicts or controversies involved in terminal dehydration. On the other hand, it is a breach of the fundamental rights of the patient and a compromise on his autonomy to coerce him to undergo painful, restrictive and intrusive treatment methods. However, we have to understand that the absence of legal restrictions does not suggest an automatic approval of terminal dehydration as an acceptable clinical practice. In other words, terminal dehydration is not absolved of the ethical and moral controversies which surround other active forms of euthanasia."

More papers on Terminal Dehydration:

• Article Review # 46778 : "Dehydrating the Terminally Ill"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 118199 : "Avoiding Dehydration"
• Term Paper # 119383 : "Dehydration"

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