Withholding nutrition and hydration revisited.

The concerns Hall raises in her article, "Caring for Corpses or Killing Patients" (October 1994) are reasonable points to consider but careful examination suggests that this form of treatment limitation is not prohibited by moral, legal or professional principles. In fact, in situations in which we have reliable information about what the patient's preferences were, we may have a very strong obligation to cease this unwanted intervention. In situations of uncertainty because of lack of data, lack of confidence in the information or sincere philosophical differences, we must hesitate before acting, calling upon whatever ethical, legal and professional resources can shed light on the issues at hand and lead us to consensus.