eli5: Patients in hospice care are often unconscious due to high doses of sedative drugs, and are given no intravenous fluids, which leads to death by dehydration. Why is this done? Is there any difference between this and physician-assisted suicide?

Question

eli5: Patients in hospice care are often unconscious due to high doses of sedative drugs, and are given no intravenous fluids, which leads to death by dehydration. Why is this done? Is there any difference between this and physician-assisted suicide?

In: Other

Answer 1

Yes. There is definitely a difference between being denied life-saving medication and being given a drug that kills you. It basically comes down to issue of medical malpractice and patient consent. In general, you have the right to decline any medication you want, you don’t have to right to RECEIVE any medication you want.

So in the case of assisted suicide, a patient is essentially asking a doctor to provide them with medication in a scenario that would constitute malpractice. In the situation of hospice, the patient is simply declining the care that would prolong their life.