If a patient is dying and still suffering great pain, what is the least harmful alternative? Here we prefer continuous sedation until death (CSD). CSD differs from physician-assisted death (PAD) in many aspects. First...If a patient is dying and still suffering great pain, what is the least harmful alternative? Here we prefer continuous sedation until death (CSD). CSD differs from physician-assisted death (PAD) in many aspects. Firstly, CSD is not used to shorten life or cause death, but instead its intention is to relieve suffering. Secondly, once CSD is associated with a reduction in or suspension of food intake, the duration of sedation is too short to have an impact on survival rate. Thirdly, CSD is titrated while PAD is often overdosed. Fourthly, the sanctity of life could be maintained since sedation is used merely as a means of quelling suffering. Last but no least, for unconscious patients, the same medicines are frequently used for both palliative sedation and standard surgical procedures.展开更多
文摘If a patient is dying and still suffering great pain, what is the least harmful alternative? Here we prefer continuous sedation until death (CSD). CSD differs from physician-assisted death (PAD) in many aspects. Firstly, CSD is not used to shorten life or cause death, but instead its intention is to relieve suffering. Secondly, once CSD is associated with a reduction in or suspension of food intake, the duration of sedation is too short to have an impact on survival rate. Thirdly, CSD is titrated while PAD is often overdosed. Fourthly, the sanctity of life could be maintained since sedation is used merely as a means of quelling suffering. Last but no least, for unconscious patients, the same medicines are frequently used for both palliative sedation and standard surgical procedures.
