PHIL 213 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Palliative Care, Decision-Making, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Document Summary
For two decades, clinicians have been guided by an agreement about the appropriate use of artificial nutrition and hydration (anh). The 1990 supreme court decision for the case of nancy cruzan specifically stated that the administration of anh without consent is an intrusion on personal liberty. However, this agreement has faced recent challenges to its legitimacy. A recent papal statement strongly discourages the withdrawal of anh from patients in a permanent vegetative state will have a profound effect on decisions about anh if it is accepted into catholic doctrines. Clinicians also face substantial obstacles that prevent them from applying sound, ethical reasoning when discussing anh with patients and families. Often families are not fully informed of the relevant risks and potential benefits of anh. In addition, financial incentives and regulatory concerns promote the use of anh in a manner that may be inconsistent with medical evidence and with the preferences of patients and their families.
