title: Terminal sedation: an emotional decision in end-of-life care.
abstract: A patient with end-stage motor neurone disease was admitted for hospice care with worsening bulbar symptoms. Although he initially walked onto the ward he became very distressed and asked for sedation. After much discussion, this man was deeply sedated, and after some harrowing days, died. Was it right to provide terminal sedation? What should the threshold be for such treatment? How should our personal reservations affect how we approach the distressed patient in an end-of-life situation?
authors.affiliation: simon.etkind@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Simon Noah
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Etkind
mesh_terms: D054810:Deep Sedation; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000941:ethics; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics*
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives