Voluntary stopping eating and drinking – glossary of basic terms

Authors

  • Adam Houska Podpůrný a paliativní tým, Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady

Keywords:

voluntary stopping eating and drinking, suicide, physician-assisted suicide, thirst, ethical dilemmas

Abstract

Abstract

The voluntary decision to stop eating and drinking brings with it a number of clinical and ethical issues. The aim of this text is to clarify the basic concepts and introduce some controversial topics related to this issue. We refer to the detailed argumentation on individual topics in the text with literature from the American and European environment.

 

References

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Stängle S, Schnepp W, Fringer A. The need to distinguish between different forms of oral nutrition refusal and different forms of voluntary stopping of eating and drinking. Palliative Care and Social Practice. 2019;13:117822421987573. doi:10.1177/1178224219875738

Quill TE, Byock IR. Responding to Intractable Terminal Suffering: The Role of Terminal Sedation and Voluntary Refusal of Food and Fluids. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2000;132(5):408. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-132-5-200003070-00012

Wax JW, An AW, Kosier N, Quill TE. Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2018;66(3):441-445. doi:10.1111/jgs.15200

Jox RJ, Black I, Borasio GD, Anneser J. Voluntary stopping of eating and drinking: is medical support ethically justified? BMC Medicine. 2017;15(1). doi:10.1186/s12916-017-0950-1

Jansen LA. Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking (VSED), Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS), or Neither in the Last Stage of Life? PAS: No; VSED: It Depends. The Annals of Family Medicine. 2015;13(5):410-411. doi:10.1370/afm.1849

Bernat JL. Patient refusal of hydration and nutrition. An alternative to physician-assisted suicide or voluntary active euthanasia. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1993;153(24):2723-2728. doi:10.1001/archinte.153.24.2723

Published

2021-10-13

How to Cite

1.
Houska A. Voluntary stopping eating and drinking – glossary of basic terms. PAL.MED.CZ. 2021;2(3):3–4. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.palmed.cz/pm/article/view/86

Issue

Section

Palliative care