TY - JOUR
T1 - Food as Love
T2 - Ethical and Moral Dilemmas in Withdrawal of Artificial Nutrition and Hydration in the Minimally Conscious State
AU - Newcomer, Kelley Finch
AU - Fine, Robert L.
AU - Newman, Antoinette Fidelia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Supportive Palliative Care and Hospice professionals frequently attend to Minimally Conscious State (MCS) patients near the end of life and in so doing, face decisions over maintenance or withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration. Although both withholding and withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) in such circumstances are considered by experts in ethics and law to be acceptable, not all families nor health care professionals agree. This paper will explore basic aspects of serious brain injuries, especially MCS, the psychological role of food in interpersonal relationships, and lessons from clinical ethics that can help in goals of care discussions about withdrawal of ANH.
AB - Supportive Palliative Care and Hospice professionals frequently attend to Minimally Conscious State (MCS) patients near the end of life and in so doing, face decisions over maintenance or withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration. Although both withholding and withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) in such circumstances are considered by experts in ethics and law to be acceptable, not all families nor health care professionals agree. This paper will explore basic aspects of serious brain injuries, especially MCS, the psychological role of food in interpersonal relationships, and lessons from clinical ethics that can help in goals of care discussions about withdrawal of ANH.
KW - artificial nutrition and hydration
KW - brain injury
KW - chronic vegetative state
KW - disorders of consciousness
KW - minimally conscious state
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105484983&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/08258597211014359
DO - 10.1177/08258597211014359
M3 - Article
C2 - 33940995
AN - SCOPUS:85105484983
SN - 0825-8597
JO - Journal of Palliative Care
JF - Journal of Palliative Care
ER -