Knox L S
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia.
Nurs Clin North Am. 1989 Jun;24(2):427-36.
A new and controversial debate in bioethics concerns the question, "Is it ever acceptable to withhold or withdraw specialized nutritional support from the dying adult patient?" In the opinion of many, the answer to this question is yes, but for only a very small number of patients. Provision of nutrition through artificial means is an invasive medical intervention. As such, procedures for supplying nutritional support impose burdens as well as provide benefits and may, under certain circumstances, be foregone. However, the needs of the vast majority of dying patients will best be served by providing specialized nutritional support.
生物伦理学中一场新的、颇具争议的辩论涉及这样一个问题：“对于濒死的成年患者，停止或撤销特殊营养支持是否在任何情况下都可接受？”许多人认为，这个问题的答案是肯定的，但只适用于极少数患者。通过人工手段提供营养是一种侵入性医疗干预。因此，提供营养支持的程序既带来负担，也带来益处，在某些情况下可能会被放弃。然而，为绝大多数濒死患者提供特殊营养支持最能满足他们的需求。
