Are artificial nutrition (tube feeding) and hydration different from other kinds of life-support treatment?
No. Artificial nutrition and hydration (often called “tube feeding”) are life-support systems that provide nutrition and fluid to the body, in the same way that a respirator supports breathing or a dialysis machine replaces kidney function. The United States Supreme Court and the major medical associations have affirmed that artificial nutrition and hydration are no different from other types of life-sustaining treatment. As with other life-support systems, artificial nutrition and hydra tion can save lives when used temporarily, until the body heals so that the person can eat and drink again. There also are people who depend permanently on artificial nutrition and hydration, and who find life to be rewarding and meaningful. Difficulties about the use of artificial nutrition and hydration arise when patients are terminally ill or have suffered irreversible brain damage. Artificial nutrition and hydration can delay such patients’ dying for a long time, but cannot change the underlying m
Related Questions
- If you let them start a life-sustaining treatment (LST), such as artificial nutrition and hydration, isn t it much harder to get them to stop it?
- What are the Legal requirements for withholding or withdrawing artificial hydration and nutrition (e.g. feeding tubes)?
- How should one approach discussions regarding artificial hydration and nutrition (e.g. feeding tubes)?
