Terminal Sedation

The intention behind this anthology is to continue and deepen the discussion about the sedation of dying patients. Those who have contributed constitute a mixture of distinguished bioethicists and doctors and nurses with experience of terminal sedation, some of them in favour of, and others in strong opposition to, voluntary euthanasia. They give their view on terminal sedation by answering questions such as: "Is terminal sedation euthanasia in disguise?", "Should terminal sedation be a part of standard palliative care?", "Should terminal sedation be provided at the patient's request?" This is the first book devoted exclusively to this subject. It does not give the final verdict, but it does contain strong defences by very competent thinkers of the most important and influential positions. It has been published in the hope that it will provoke further thought and discussion. This volume is of interest to students, teachers and professionals working in palliative medicine and medical ethics.