Rehydration or dehydration?
The ability of medicine to prolong human life through the use of sophisticated technology has raised many ethical questions, notably those related to the issue of withholding or withdrawing nutrition and hydration from certain patients. Health care professionals have begun debating what criteria should be applied when treating patients who are not able to choose for themselves. This review focuses on some of the dilemmas inherent in this issue.
Dicks
B
B
Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
D026686:Beneficence; D003681:Dehydration / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013727:Terminal Care; D028761:Withholding Treatment