The widespread consensus that withholding certain life-sustaining, especially those entailing substantial suffering, is sometimes in patient's best interest conflicts with our basic instincts when the are food and water. Lynn and Childress examine the medical aspects various nutritional options and the moral obligations pertinent to decision. They conclude that, in certain limited cases, malnutrition and need not be corrected and that nutrition and hydration are not morally from other life-sustaining treatments that may on be withheld or withdrawn. (KIE abstract)
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Lynn et al. (1983) studied this question.
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