Palliative sedation and ethical dilemma

Abstract

Palliative sedation is a unique concern for the patient as well as the family. It is a difficult serious ethical dilemma for the physicians to handle. The conflicting ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence and nonmaleficence in continuing versus discontinuing all supportive devices raise concerns among health professionals whether this is euthanasia (physician-assisted suicide) or is just prolonging the patient's unnecessary suffering.