What is allowing a patient to die?
Active euthanasia: killing a patient by active means, for example, injecting a patient with a lethal dose of a drug. Sometimes called “aggressive” euthanasia. Passive euthanasia: intentionally letting a patient die by withholding artificial life support such as a ventilator or feeding tube.
Is removing a feeding tube considered euthanasia?
Q: Is taking away artificial feeding the same as euthanasia? A: Taking away food and water, no matter how they are provided, is euthanasia if the purpose of doing so is to cause death.
Which is the most serious complication of enteral tube feeding?
Aspiration is one of the most important and controversial complications in patients receiving enteral nutrition, and is among the leading causes of death in tube-fed patients due to aspiration pneumonia.
Are Feeding Tubes considered life support?
Tube feeding is not considered a basic part of care. Health care providers, ethicists and the courts consider it to be artificial nutrition and a medical treatment. This makes it comparable to other medical treatments such as dialysis or assisted breathing.
Can you sleep on your side with a feeding tube?
Keep the skin around the tube clean and dry. Sleep on your back or your side. You are likely to be more comfortable.
What is the alternative to feeding tubes?
Alternative feeding methods are where a tube can be placed directly through the skin into the stomach or bowel, known as Enterostomy Feeding, which includes percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (PEJ).
Why do people need feeding tubes?
What are the advantages of getting a feeding tube? To maintain hydration and a safe way to administer medications. To have a decreased risk of aspiration pneumonia. To decrease the risk of choking, chewing or swallowing problems when eating.
What happens when a feeding tube is removed?
Once the tube is removed, stomach contents will leak from the stoma and will continue to do so until the tract closes completely. It may take more than two weeks for the feeding tube tract to heal and close, and it will leak during this time.
What happens when a coma patient wakes up?
People who do wake up from a coma usually come round gradually. They may be very agitated and confused to begin with. Some people will make a full recovery and be completely unaffected by the coma. Others will have disabilities caused by the damage to their brain.