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Palliative Sedation

  • Living reference work entry
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Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics

Abstract

Palliative sedation refers to the reduction of consciousness in patients who suffer from refractory symptoms at the end of life. In this entry, the most radical form of palliative sedation, namely, deep and continuous sedation until death, is at the focus of attention. It is one of the most contested medical decisions at the end of life and is generally considered to be a means of last resort, to be justified only when conventional interventions are no longer effective. After the concept of palliative sedation has been introduced, some empirical findings have been described, and a global perspective has been shortly introduced; three main areas of ethical debate are sketched out and analyzed: (1) the moral status of palliative sedation and differences and similarities between palliative sedation and physician-assisted death, (2) the decision to withhold or withdraw artificial nutrition and hydration in deeply sedated patients, and (3) the assessment of refractory symptoms and the expertise in palliative care that is required from the physician. It is concluded that, although guidelines show important similarities regarding these three domains, there are important differences of opinion among experts in the field. The debate on palliative sedation will remain of topical interest in the field of medical ethics and palliative care.

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Further Readings

  • Claessens, P., Menten, J., Schotsmans, P., et al. (2008). Palliative sedation. A review of the research literature. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 36, 310–333.

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  • Sterckx, S., Raus, K., & Mortier, F. (Eds.). (2013). Continuous sedation at the end of life. Clinical, legal and ethical perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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  • Ten Have, H., & Clark, D. (Eds.). (2002). The ethics of palliative care. European perspectives. Buckingham: Open University Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Humanities, EMGO, VU Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Rien M. J. P. A. Janssens

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  1. Rien M. J. P. A. Janssens
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Correspondence to Rien M. J. P. A. Janssens .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Duquesne University Center for Healthcare Ethics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Henk ten Have

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Janssens, R.M.J.P.A. (2015). Palliative Sedation. In: ten Have, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_324-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_324-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05544-2

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