IV hydration in the terminally ill: ritual or therapy?
The management of dehydration is both a clinical and an ethical problem. Artificial hydration may increase pharyngeal and pulmonary secretions, which causes a choking sensation, nausea and vomiting. Food and fluid have a strong social, cultural, religious and psychological significance. Competent nursing requires expert knowledge and moral skill. The interests of the patient must always be paramount. An ethical decision-making framework provides a systematic approach to ethical problems.
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D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D032781:Codes of Ethics; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012297:Right to Die; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D028761:Withholding Treatment