Is the practice of terminal or palliative sedation ethical?
Is the practice of terminal or palliative sedation ethical? Ethical Issues Palliative sedation represents a part of the spectrum of good clinical practice when used in the appropriate circumstances. The US Supreme Court has supported the right of informed patients to pursue relief of suffering, even if the treatment may unintentionally shorten life. Why is palliative sedation controversial? Unlike intermittent and light sedation, CDS is ethically controversial because it ends a person's 'biographical life' (the ability to interact meaningfully with other people) and, if prolonged, shortens 'biological life'. Family concerns,17 sedation in children18,19 and in Intensive Care Units20 will not...